Chesapeake Conservancy Partners with County to Provide Summer Interns

Charles County, MD – Charles County Government is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Chesapeake Conservancy to hire two student interns from Morgan State University, Khadija Smith and Nicholas Wright, through its Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL) Summer Internship program.

Chesapeake Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center will be mentoring the summer interns as they work on projects to map opportunities to improve access to green space, protected areas, and recreational opportunities for underserved communities in Charles County.  The PEARL Summer Internship program develops students’ skills in project design, fieldwork, laboratory research, and scientific writing. Chesapeake Conservancy will provide the students training and work experience in using geospatial analysis to support land use planning and conservation goals.

“Chesapeake Conservancy is thrilled to be a part of this terrific partnership, and we thank our partners for making this possible.  One of our organization’s key beliefs and goals is to make sure that diversity is reflected in the conservation movement,” said Chesapeake Conservancy Executive Vice President Mark Conway. “We want to make sure that all voices are heard in the conservation movement and are working to open doors for new leaders from all backgrounds through programs such as this partnership with Morgan State University and Charles County.”

Charles County Government will support students in selecting their research topics and provide hands-on experience in the field and in the lab.  Research is conducted in the Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory in Saint Leonard, Maryland, a state-of-the-art facility. The internship will last ten weeks, starting June 1, 2021.

“This first-of-its-kind partnership with the Chesapeake Conservancy and the PEARL internship program not only benefits the students with professional development and training, but also supports environmental priorities in Charles County. I look forward to the contributions the students can offer and unique perspectives they will provide,” said County Administrator Mark Belton.

To learn more about the Chesapeake Conservancy, visit https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/ and to learn more about the Morgan State University PEARL Center, visit https://bit.ly/3erFeXF.