Greetings all! I’ve really enjoyed reading the blog posts and learning about the neat projects folks are working on! My internship is here in Austin with Texan by Nature and it’s focused on program management with the hope of increasing impact investments for major conservation projects happening throughout Texas. Much of my work is centered around helping to develop our Conservation Wrangler program that will be highlighting six projects across the state. The selected projects are making significant impacts on the people, prosperity, and natural resources of Texas and will be announced publicly in a few weeks on various media and social media platforms and promoted by the founder of Texan by Nature, Former First Lady, Laura Bush.
It’s been a busy few months preparing for the Conservation Wrangler project roll outs. I’ve been able to apply some of the material from our classes in Project Management to the documentation processes and to helping to build out evaluation criteria for the projects, reviewing applications that come in, and establishing new processes and timelines for project managers. Now that projects have been selected, I am working to review the selection process and also to hire videographers to create engaging and informative films about each site. Over the next few months, I may have a chance to help conduct on-site visits, develop detailed project plans, and help plan our annual gala to highlight the new projects and thank corporate partners.
Overall, I am appreciating the opportunity to broaden my understanding of the role corporations can play in supporting conservation throughout the state as well as the chance to think about new ways to enable private landowners, business owners, and individuals to get involved in caring for the planet. Texas has one of the most robust economies in the world and it is inspiring to be a part of an organization that is pro-actively working to ensure that some of this capital goes towards a good cause.
All media, photographs, and public outreach are highly controlled in our office, however, feel free to check out our website at http://texanbynature.org/programs/conservation-wrangler/. It will be updated in April with all of the exciting new projects. On a related note, just released is our new Texan by Nature Certification program at http://texanbynature.org/programs/txn-certification/. If you are part of a small, medium, or large organization and would like to be recognized for your investment in conservation or restoration efforts, please consider applying.
Cheers!
Chris Enders