The ACE in Our Pocket

CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY

PROTECT

SINCE 1972

Since 2008, Catalina Island Conservancy’s American Conservation Experience (ACE) intern program has provided enthusiastic, entry-level professionals with backgrounds in conservation, biology, ecology or botany the opportunity for a rewarding learning experience while completing meaningful projects in the conservation and environmental fields.

Upon joining our conservation team, the ACE interns make immediate and impactful contributions. It is estimated that a single plant restoration intern over the course of three months improves 260 acres of habitat and mitigates more than 8,000 invasive plant species.

Field work on Catalina is challenging and provides an unforgettable work experience for the interns. They are trained in a variety of survey techniques and learn the ecological significance of the projects and objectives they actively support.

During the 2022 field season, ACE Interns surveyed and eradicated invasive plant species, set traps for the endemic Catalina Island Shrew, participated in fox trapping and surveying, joined field surveys for rare and endemic plant species, cared for native plants in the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery and gained experience in geographic information systems (GIS) mapping.

The interns are an invaluable asset to the conservation department and we are so grateful to them for their incredible work and for Conservancy supporters who help fund this program.