Nerissa Rujanavech interned with The Nature Conservancy Colorado and was responsible for the development of a conservation plan for a 1.3 million acre grassland in southeastern Colorado.

Nerissa utilized the widely accepted í¢â‚¬Å“Conservation Action Planningí¢â‚¬  process as a framework to assess the biodiversity of the site. She researched important species and natural communities, developed appropriate spatial analyses for the project, and conducted workshops with scientific experts and local stakeholders. The product of this work is a Conservation Management Plan for the Horse Creek Conservation Area, which provides goals for biodiversity, strategies to achieve those goals, and measures of success. Nerissa gained important professional skills and worked with a wide variety of conservation professionals and stakeholders. She also developed a greater appreciation for grassland ecosystems and learned the significance private land conservation.

Internship Details