The Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (CWC) was fortunate to have an amazing volunteer intern over the summer to help us on the outreach side of operations! Emily Doering graduated from CMU earlier in the year with an Environmental Studies degree, a Business minor, and an Environmental Justice certificate. She was looking to stay in the Mount Pleasant area and gain professional experience at a local non-profit organization. With Emily’s dedication to the environment, the CWC was a perfect fit!
Emily clocked in over 100 hours of experience over the summer, learning what fundraising and outreach operations look like within a non-profit land trust. She assisted with a wide range of outreach events, from youth-centered environmental education to our largest event of the year: the annual Fall Fundraiser! Autumn aimed to give her a rich sense of what you can find in non-profit work: Variety! While the CWC works within a structured timeline, being organized but able to pivot on a moment’s notice are skills that serve a person well in this field.
“My time as an unpaid intern at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy has not only given me professional experience but lasting memories and relationships. I was able to get a real snapshot of a future in conservation and non-profits. The work was not only fulfilling but genuinely enjoyable.”
“Becoming involved in my community was a lovely perk, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of wonderful people I met. I learned so much through connecting with the Tribe, the non-profit community, and the Mt. Pleasant community.”
“Mike and Autumn were very intentional with their goal to give me a well-rounded snapshot of the CWC and curate this experience to my interests. My schedule definitely had a healthy variety of work. The combination of working outside, educating kids, tabling events, designing education graphics, and even stuffing envelopes made this internship perfectly balanced and rewarding.”
Keep an eye out for Emily’s completed projects in our upcoming social media posts during the next few months! Enjoy some highlights of her internship below:
