SUEIP Students Working Remotely Amid Pandemic

Fall 2020 Issue

SUEIP Intern Ethan Freeman analyzing acoustic data to determine protected bird and bat species presence at National Guard sites.
SUEIP Intern Ethan Freeman analyzing acoustic data to determine protected bird and bat species presence at National Guard sites. (Photo credit: Ethan Freeman).

The ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ Environmental Internship Program, also known as SUEIP, provides students with real-world career-building experience in a wide variety of environmental topics including environmental quality, natural resources, cultural resources, environmental compliance, remediation, and sustainability. The program is designed to put students in the shoes of an environmental consultant, doing environmental surveys and investigations similar to jobs they will apply for post-graduation. SUEIP students work with members of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMAVA) Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to complete important environmental projects at National Guard sites throughout New Jersey. 

Did you ever wonder what a Pine Barren Treefrog sounds like? 

 

Image of Pine Barrens Treefrog audio waveform
Image of American Bullfrog audio waveform

Normally, SUEIP students spend their summers doing fieldwork at these sites, such as conducting wetland delineations, tap water sampling, Area of Concern (AOC) surveys, invasive insect surveys, monitoring well surveys, or rare species surveys. Fieldwork limitations due to COVID-19 may have restricted the interns from conducting site visits, but that hasn’t stopped them from being productive. 

 

SUEIP Photo Gallery Photo 1
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The students have been working remotely since April writing reports and proposals, managing geodatabases, designing rain gardens, analyzing acoustic bird and bat recordings, and reviewing historic site plans and schematics for potential environmental concerns. The team communicates throughout the work day using Microsoft TEAMSâ„¢, and works together to complete these important projects. Documents produced by these students are used by the EMB to make informed land management and compliance-based decisions at 40+ National Guard facilities statewide.

To learn more about SUEIP, feel free to visit their website at .