FLBS Interns and Students Depart as Another Amazing Summer at FLBS Comes to an End

The sun has officially set on another summer of hands-on learning and real world research at FLBS and we couldn’t be more grateful or honored to have spent our time deepening our understanding of the Flathead Watershed alongside such an incredible cohort of students all summer long. Overseeing this program—which includes coordinating and organizing transportation, educational materials, food, safety equipment, and so much more for the students enrolled in our eight courses, with each course conducting overnight field work outings in a different region of the Watershed—requires an awesome amount of work.

The success of this year’s summer academic program is due almost entire to FLBS Summer Session Program Manager Hannah Gerhard and her Summer Student Assistants Aspen Jaeger and Megan Pauley. Not only did they provide students with the best possible opportunity to learn, but they also helped ensure this summer was a fun, safe, and exciting experience for students and faculty alike.

FLBS Summer Session Program Manager Hannah Gerhard (center) and her 2022 Summer Student Assistants Aspen Jaeger (left) and Megan Pauley (right).

The end of our academic program also marked the end of our summer internships at FLBS. Whether connecting FLBS research and monitoring with local communities, advancing innovation to help us look to the future, or deepening scientific understanding in the Flathead Watershed and beyond, these interns conducted significant and meaningful work that will continue to make an impact for years to come. More importantly, they were a joy to be around, and had plenty of fun and exciting times along the way.

The 2019 FLBS Summer Interns (from left to right): Brooke DeRuwe, Joshua Naudet, Anna Belinski, Niko Linder, Kenzye Spears, Sophia Richter, Joshua Moyer, Nellie Little, and Kyle Crichton.

Opportunities such as these are made possible almost entirely through philanthropic support. A deep and heartfelt thank you to everyone who made these internship and educational programs possible, and to these wonderful interns and students for taking full advantage through their hard and high quality work.

As sad as we are to see this wonderful group of students and interns go, having the chance to reflect and fully appreciate the completion of a truly remarkable summer at FLBS is a wonderful thing. After all, memories are among the greatest of gifts the Flathead Watershed provides, and the memories we made this summer are sure to last the rest of our lives.