A Commitment to Conservation

Back for his third internship as a Dickinsonian, Connor Liu '18 is working with Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to monitor and track the critically-endangered hawksbill sea turtle.

Connor Liu '18, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Major:

Environmental science.

Internship title:

Monitoring intern.

How I got this internship:

I got this internship by responding to a listing from a company website or search engine.

What I do, day to day:

Each day, we hike up to 12 miles to reach remote beach sites where we monitor the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle. We record data, make measurements, tag and take tissue samples from nesting hawksbills. We also protect their nests and assist hatchlings [in getting] into the ocean.

Other internships:

In 2015, I interned with the Assateague Island National Seashore, and in 2016, I interned with E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Labs in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique.

Most valuable part of this experience:

Working directly with an endangered animal is extremely rewarding.

Advice for students considering internships:

Do what you love and what makes you happy. Apply to a lot of positions in different fields.

How this internship has helped me:

I learned how to work under extreme fatigue, and learned how I could work more efficiently on small amounts of sleep.

Post-Dickinson plans:

I will continue to work in conservation around the world and use my skills to travel to remote places.

Learn more

Published August 18, 2017