Parks Protector | Katelyn Horn '11

My mom was a science teacher. Growing up she involved herself in my school field trips that were science related, girl scout badges, and vacations where we were constantly in nature. Hood was the first school that I visited with her and I fell in love with the gorgeous campus and of course the brand new science building. I knew I wanted to be an Environmental Scientist so when I heard about the Coastal Studies program that was offered by Hood I was very interested in the program. Working with Dr. Ferrier and Professor Albaugh for a semester and doing a winter term in Florida allowed me to see field opportunities that I hadn't considered in my career. I learned plant identification, survey work, data recording, and all about different labs across the eastern shore. Experiences where my fellow students and I were laughing while crawling through the mud, hiking through moss covered forest or diving into coral reefs have stayed with me while in my career.  

My current role in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Services is land manager for all of the Wildlife Management Areas located in the five counties that make up Southern Maryland. I maintain eleven WMA's by planting food plots, repairing roads, conducting wildlife surveys, creating hunting opportunities on public land with partners, and removing invasive species (just to name a few things). My job restores habitat and protects land from future urbanization. While a State park may utilize its space to entice public users who like to hike, learn about history or fish, my sector focuses on utilization for wildlife. I am enhancing the habitat to better suit the needs of native wildlife species so their populations can be more successful for future generations. 

*Fun fact* I am the only woman to hold this position in the state.

Every single person makes a difference in the impacts they can leave on an area. As one person I have expanded the population range of a butterfly, eradicated an invasive species from an island completely, saved an endangered species from an invasive invertebrate, removed over 15,000 lbs of trash that was left in our environment, along with countless other cool experiences and opportunities. Everyone is capable of making small decisions every day to help protect the environment. Maybe it's using reusable tupperware to pack your lunch rather than a one time use sandwich bag, or taking your water bottle home to recycle it rather than throwing it in the trash. Small choices like this can help make the jobs of professionals easier. 

Work hard and be persistent. This is a very competitive field that can be extremely hard to break into. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to intern with Dr. Annis when I was an undergrad and Dr. Kindahl helped me to create a research project. Both of these things gave me experience on my resume before my graduation date which helped me be more competitive entering the field. Apply to as many internships as you can before you graduate and get some volunteer experience if you aren't accepted into an internship position.