What a BLM intern can bring to the job

On a cold November night, Sabrina Farmer surveyed the crowd that had gathered in the multi-purpose room of the BLM Campbell Creek Science Center.    

An audience made up mostly of women of all ages had braved the threat of an ice storm to attend the No Man's Land Film Festival. It was the first time the Science Center hosted the festival, which celebrates the accomplishments of women adventurers.  All seats for the event had been reserved weeks before and as the room filled up, the crowd buzzed with anticipation.  
 

SCA intern Sabrina Farmer (far left) moderated a panel discussion before the start of the No Man's Land Film Festival. 

Farmer, a Student Conservation Association intern with a love of the outdoors, enjoyed the quiet satisfaction of knowing she had made this happen.  "There were so many good conversations going on, so many different connections being made. I was excited to see that," Farmer said.  

Then she took a seat at the front of the room and led a pre-show panel discussion among a group of Alaskan women whose work and play are rooted in outdoor adventure. 
 

Teaching Holland America Princess tour guides about Alaska native plants. 

An intern can be so much more than just an extra set of hands. They can bring new perspectives to the work we do and new audiences to the public events we host.  Farmer says that, during her year-long internship at the Science Center, she gained valuable insights into government work and environmental education. She also brought her own experience to the job. 

"I brought the No Man's Land Film Festival to my college, Colgate University, and I've seen how it can be a successful event in bringing people together. The Science Center works with a lot of school-aged children and hosts programs for adults. It seemed like we were missing my age group – the young adult community. I know how to access that group and how to access the outdoor community. It seemed like a perfect event to bring to the Science Center." 

Teaching fly tying during the Science Center's annual Outdoor Week event. 

Farmer grew up in Burlington, Vermont and came to Alaska after college in 2018 to work seasonally as a glacier guide, leading ice climbers in the mountains around Seward. She became a Student Conservation Association intern as a way of trying out the world of nine-to-five work without making a long-term commitment. She quickly found that the nine-to-five world wasn't as bad as she feared. And she found that the Science Center's values aligned with hers. 

Farmer with informational kiosks she designed using the art work of another SCA intern, Leila Pyle. 

"I really do value environmental education. Before my Science Center experience, I never really considered it as a career," said Farmer, who graduated with a double major in biology/ecology and women's studies. "It combines people and science in a really interesting way and the work itself is so dynamic. You're always teaching and adapting lessons for your audience. I think it's really special that Alaska has the Science Center. It's a community resource where others can continue learning."
 

Story by Maureen Clark, Public Affairs Specialist