South Carolina Wild
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact
  • Submit
  • Student Resources
    • What is SCDNR?
    • Scholarship Opportunities
    • Camps
    • Need a license?
    • Volunteer
    • Announcements
  • Archive
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Go Green
  • Shooting Sports
  • Gone Fishin’
  • Word to the Wise
  • Announcements
35K Followers
South Carolina Wild
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact
  • Submit
  • Student Resources
    • What is SCDNR?
    • Scholarship Opportunities
    • Camps
    • Need a license?
    • Volunteer
    • Announcements
  • Archive
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Word to the Wise

SCDNR Virtual Summer Internship Experience in Photos

  • 2 minute read

by Anna Morales

Before this summer, I was extremely eager to begin my first internship to gain real-world professional exposure. I could not wait to shake the hands of those in my cohort and work alongside them in the field. However, as the pandemic swept the globe in March, like many other college students I had to reevaluate my expectations. After working as a remote intern with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program, I have found that my expectations have been exceeded. This position has given me a solid foundation of skill sets in anthropology, and newfound confidence while following my career path.

Anna Morales meets with fellow SCDNR archaeology interns via a Teams Meeting.
The SCDNR Parker Annex Archaeology Center in Columbia is a state-of-the-art archaeology lab and curation facility.

SCDNR’s Heritage Trust Program is an organization that preserves and protects the natural and cultural properties within the state (and is our nation’s very first program to do so!) The organizer of Heritage Trust’s internship program, Meg Gaillard, reconstructed the internship in order to accommodate the unanticipated circumstances. This summer’s group of Heritage Trust interns ranged from Ph.D. students working remotely from South Carolina to rising college freshmen soon to study archaeology at Princeton University. As archaeologists and anthropologists, we all had to creatively navigate our remote responsibilities as we washed artifacts, conducted research, attended webinars, crafted K-12 lesson plans, and more from home.


With this internship being entirely virtual, our interns had to learn to network and create unique workspaces to complete tasks. Microsoft Teams made it possible for us to learn about one another’s unique interests and attend webinars with professionals across the field.

“I know a lot of people don’t like working from home, but I actually really enjoy the flexibility.”
-Jessica Cooper, SCDNR Archaeology Intern

Washing artifacts from home seemed like a daunting task initially, but interns did a great job creating archaeological labs in their living rooms and bedrooms. Check out these cool finds that our interns came across while processing artifacts from SCDNR’s Fort Fredrick Heritage Preserve and Pockoy Island Shell Ring excavations.

One BONEus of remote work was getting to spend a little extra time with our pets. Studying archaeology at home brought a whole new meaning to the excuse “my dog ate my homework.”

 


All in all, I can say that although this experience was not what I expected my first internship to be, I wouldn’t change a thing. Walking away from SCDNR’s summer internship, I can say that I have gained a new sense of confidence as an archaeologist and have met some amazing people along the way. I look forward to maintaining the relationships I have formed through this and continuing to search for opportunities with SCDNR.

Anna Morales, author

 

This article is a reprint of Anna Morales’ blog. Click here to view her article.
To learn more about the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Heritage Trust program, click here.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on South Carolina Wild are solely those of the authors, and do not reflect official policies, positions, or endorsements of activity or products by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Share
Tweet
Pin it
Previous Article
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Word to the Wise

Running Through the Woods

View Post
Next Article
  • Explore
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Learn

South Carolina’s Unsung Conservation Champions: Riverbanks Zoo’s Scott Pfaff

View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Our Efforts
  • Outdoor Adventures

Reconstructing the Reconstructed: Digitally Recreating 1,900-Year-Old Pottery Designs

View Post
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Our Efforts
  • Outdoor Adventures

3D Technology in the Field of Archaeology

View Post
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Gone Fishin'
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Word to the Wise

2021 SCDNR Summer Internships: Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

View Post
  • Features
  • Field Guide
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Word to the Wise

The Diamondback Terrapin

View Post
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Gone Fishin'
  • Our Efforts
  • Outdoor Adventures

SCDNR Fisheries Intern Learns How to Raise and Stock Trout

View Post
  • Features
  • Go Green
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Word to the Wise

South Carolina Envirothon: Update

View Post
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Go Green
  • Our Efforts
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Word to the Wise

Preparing Vessels for a Traveling Exhibit

View Post
  • Features
  • Friends of SCDNR
  • Gone Fishin'
  • How We Outdoors
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Word to the Wise

Curtain Time

Archives
Did you know?

SCDNR affiliated programs like the Harry Hampton Wildlife fund, the National Archery in the Schools Program, South Carolina Envirothon, and SCDNR Youth Sporting Clay competition award scholarships each year. Check out what scholarships are available!

About Us

South Carolina Wild is an online publication sponsored by the SC Department of Natural Resources’ official magazine South Carolina Wildlife and the Harry Hampton Wildlife Fund.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed on South Carolina Wild are solely those of the authors, and do not reflect official policies, positions, or endorsements of activity or products by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

South Carolina Wild
  • SCDNR website
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, disability, religion or age. Direct all inquiries to the Office of Human Resources, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.