Thank you, Nels!
Nels takes a moment to refuel at our largest volunteer event of the year, the Earth Day Cleanup.
Photo: Ami Thompson, amithompson.com
Standing in the cold rain trying to catch volunteers stymied by a surprise road closure, shoveling in the mud on a drizzly Saturday morning, wrangling with Word docs and Excel spreadsheets to best communicate the story and interests of local conservation-minded landowners...these are not the types of tasks you expect an intern to enjoy, but, no matter what, Nels Dyste stayed smiling.
This spring, FMR had the great fortune of having Nels Dyste serve as our restoration and conservation intern. Before he moves on to work for Wilderness Inquiry and attend graduate school, we wanted to take a moment to express our appreciation and attempt to recap his many contributions.
Nels primary project was to survey members of the Mississippi-Vermillion Heritage Land Registry members, an honor roll of landowners who volunteer to protect their land for the benefit of the ecosystems and wildlife found there. The survey was designed to gauge the habitat protection and restoration work registry members have been conducting on their land, and to help staff better understand their needs and desires. Nels led the effort to develop and mail the questionnaire and to tabulate the results and compile a report (hence the wrangling with Word and Excel).
Conservation Director Tom Lewanski said Nels demonstrated a lot of initiative and energy. Lewanski was also quick to point out that it was because of Nels work that FMR was able to reconnect with registry members, and that this reconnection will hopefully lead to more land conservation efforts.
Staff also made sure that Nels spent plenty of time outside of the office, assisting with workshops and hands-on volunteer events. His help was essential for registration and preparations, but Nels always went above and beyond. When a surprise road closure prevented volunteers from driving the regular route to the Crosby Park site in St. Paul, he was quick to grab a sign and hold it high...in a very cold rain, standing along the highway.
Nels put participants and volunteers first, and displayed a gentle leadership style far beyond his years. Always paying close attention to peoples verbal and non-verbal cues, he had a knack for stepping in as needed. When a group of young Earth Day volunteers shuffled their feet a moment longer than most, for example, Nels seamlessly jumped in to direct them never raising his voice and quickly becoming one of the gang.
For these reasons, and many more, were certain that Nels will do a fantastic job on his next gig: working with Wilderness Inquiry this summer. Most likely, hell be helping to staff their local Mississippi River canoe trips. We also wish him the best with his graduate program in Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota this fall, and look forward to seeing him at any volunteer events his busy schedule will allow him to participate in.
Thank you, Nels!
Note: Currently, FMR is accepting applications for a summer Mississippi River Challenge intern. A complete description, including application instructions, is available online.
sue rich, Volunteer Coordinator, and Tom Lewanski, Conservation Director