I am fortunate enough to have grown up with the Pine Knoll Shores (PKS) aquarium in my backyard, and since working there this summer, I’ve realized that I have seriously underestimated its worth. Not only do I get to wear cargo shorts all summer long (fun, right?), but I get to play an active part in North Carolinians education about our local ecosystems. When it was remodeled in 2006 the PKS aquarium focused on conservation and education, informing the public about how to live more sustainable lives throughout North Carolina’s mountains, piedmont, and coastal regions – and this summer, I played a role in that.

This summer I worked as a special activities intern at one of North Carolina’s aquariums. I helped run any and all of our paid educational programming such as summer camps, behind the scenes tours, paddle trips in the sound, and much more. These programs required me to brush up on my local ecological knowledge while also remembering a script or distinct talking points. I was never handed a piece of paper that said exactly what I should say on my behind-the-scenes tours, for example, rather I was given the freedom to educate on what I found the most compelling at each one of our tour stops. This system allowed me to take more responsibility and feel respected as a knowledge source that my bosses and coworkers could trust with the public’s experience here at our aquarium. I was beyond nervous going into this internship because I really didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into – what if they tested me on my seashell identification skills? (For context, I’ve lived at the beach my whole life and can name about three whole shells). However, it all felt natural. I feel like I fell right into stride, slowly working my way towards leading more and more programs until now, where I have led all of them. I was woefully unprepared for just how much I would learn this summer.

I have always enjoyed education, but this summer I was thrown into the fire of environmental education and nature interpretation. With this internship I didn’t have weeks to prepare and countless lessons before I was meant to perform at a high level. Everything I learned was in the heat of the moment, and from what I can tell, pressure really does make diamonds. When you are forced to adapt, I found that learning new skills comes much easier, for me, at least. This summer I learned how to manage large groups of people, both older and younger than myself, in a way that created an effective and fun learning environment. I also was trained on animal handling techniques for many reptiles including snakes, turtles, lizards, and more. Lastly, I gained experience with professional communication with my bosses and coworkers. The aquarium is a much more formal and professional environment than I have worked in before with the service industry, so navigating work relationships looked different. This is a skill that I know will serve me for many years to come.

My most memorable experience from this internship was watching our summer campers discover how cool nature is by finding fish, crabs, and whelks in Bogue sound. We take the campers out to the water every day and having them get excited about fishing, or finding clam shells reminded me why I love nature and why I find this field of work so enticing and important. Connecting with the kids scholastically feels so rewarding, and reminds me of my own childhood experiences with the outdoors and environmental sciences. The opportunity to inspire another generation of conservationists is thrilling, and the world knows we need all of the conservation help we can get.

That being said, this internship also gave me a taste of how tiring education – specifically outdoor education can be. However, I’m young, and supposedly full of life, so there is no better time than the present to work in education. I truly have enjoyed my job, and have had a very fulfilling experience and summer, however I am curious to explore other environmental sciences jobs that aren’t so public facing. I love working with animals and would like to give husbandry a try. My perfect career would probably be a mix of education, nature interpretation, and husbandry – though that is a tall ask. After this experience I am certainly not deterred from environmental education, but I do think I have some valuable insights into what my future could look like.

Currently I am on track to minor in environmental education and this summer I truly got a taste of what that might look like for me. This job allows me to be outside, interact with people and animals, educate the public about conservation, and spend time doing meaningful work. I have so much fun at work, and more often than not I feel fulfilled by the work I get to do and my interactions with the public; what other job allows you to go paddling, fishing, and handle cool animals every single day? Additionally, I was asked back to work in this position again next summer, and I truthfully cannot find reasons why I shouldn’t. I fell for this job hook, line, and sinker.