College of Science

Environmental Science MS

ENSCI Student Conducting Research for US Army Garrison 

Skylar Wolfe, a current Environmental Science Master’s student, is currently completing a 400-hour internship with the US Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett as part of her Professional Science Master’s degree requirement. Skylar worked on tasks related to conducting stream bioassessments and quantifying the health of the Nacitone Watershed (which includes Fort Hunter Liggett).

We reached out to Skylar to learn more about her research and overall experience as a graduate student at CSUMB. Check out her interview below!

What organization are you working with on your PSM internship? 

U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett

What is your title in this internship role? 

Field Researcher 

In 3 - 4 sentences, describe the work you are doing at your internship site.

Fort Hunter Liggett is a large military base utilized for training and operations located at the Southern portion of Monterey County. The Nacimiento and San Antonio Rivers both flow through the base and create unique management opportunities. Quantifying the health of the watershed is necessary to properly manage native species, resources and impacts. By completing bioassessments of five individual river road crossings, we are able to monitor stream fitness. 

In a few sentences, how is your project contributing to your professional goals?

I have gained knowledge on numerous protocols that I was not familiar with before. This directly contributes to my career goals as I try to diversify my experience and opportunities. 

What is your favorite part about being a graduate student at CSUMB? 

The community of students within the program and excellent faculty to help guide my way through were essential to my success within the program. 

What are your plans after graduate school?

I plan to stay on the West coast to continue to contribute to restoring the beautiful ecosystems we have around us and work towards a more optimistic future for our planet.

Congratulations on your internship, Skylar! We look forward to seeing where your professional endeavors take you.