As a Conservation Education Intern, Ericka Popovich gained a deeper understanding of the issues facing environmental educators today.

She met a variety of people working in the conservation field, both nationally and internationally, and was exposed to the different problems unique to each setting. She  learned Macromedia Dreamweaver in the process of maintaining a website. Ericka learned Adobe Illustrator to assist with the special events hosted in the park centered around four topics, including Year of the Frog (global amphibian crisis), Endangered Species Day, Earth Day, and International Migratory Bird Day. In addition, these events taught the importance of cooperating with different partners throughout the park and time management. Ericka was also one of the coordinators for the Education Presenter interns who work on a daily basis throughout the park to educate families on conservation education actions they can take. As a coordinator she developed her ability to mentor a team of informal educators, which included providing new and exciting information on a variety of conservation topics, coaching them on interpretive techniques in the field, and helping them to develop professionally. One of her special projects was to assist with wildlife monitoring on Disney land and developing an educational poster that could be used to inform and inspire others to help as well.

Internship Details