Phillips Wharf Environmental Center / Summer Internship

Phillips-wharf environmental center

Internship Profile

Position Title: Summer Intern
Student NameAbigail Piegols
Major: Biology
Type of Internship: Environmental / Sustainability Management
City, State: Tilghman Island, MD
Semester: Summer
Hours: 30+ hours per week
Paid or Unpaid: Unpaid

How did you find this internship?

I found this internship through internships.com.

What advice on the internship application process would you give to another TU student interested in this internship?

Apply to as many as you can. Don't count out an internship just because its unpaid - at Phillips Wharf, the internship was unpaid, but they provided housing so it evened out.

What did you do as an intern at this organization?

There are many different areas to get involved with at Phillips wharf. On a daily basis, I completed tasks such as maintaining a small estuarium and providing educational tours to guests. This included feeding and exercising a variety of turtles. I also worked on the boat maintaining to oysters on the farm. This included bringing them in and out as well as tumbling and sorting them. There is also a community garden where I had the opportunity to work. Other projects included setting up an aquaponics system and painting a mural.

What did you find most rewarding in your internship?

The most rewarding part of my internship was getting to interact with the Chesapeake Bay in a new and very hands-on way, getting to be a part of a new community and feeling pride in making a positive difference in the bay ecology.

What were the challenges you faced in your internship?

It was a lot of physical labor; I wasn't expecting as much. Another challenge was living in such a far-out rural space. 

If another student at TU was interested in your internship next year, what skills would you recommend they develop in the coming semesters to prepare?

Come in with an open mind and don't be afraid to propose different projects and ask to help out more in areas that interest you more because there is so much to do there.