UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences student Genevieve Printiss is working toward her bachelor’s degree in forest resources and conservation, housed in the UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences. Over the summer, Printiss completed an internship at the Tall Timbers Research Station in Tallahassee, Florida, where she gained hands-on experience before her upcoming spring 2022 graduation. Printiss applied knowledge and skills she learned through her coursework to a possible career in her industry. She learned about this experience from her undergraduate program coordinator, Scott Sager.
This internship was managed by the Fire Ecology Lab within Tall Timbers. During her internship, Printiss helped with several research projects, including a 10-year woody stem census that evaluated the long-term impacts of fire on plant re-growth. Additionally, she helped with the 2021 tree census on tall timbers, where the team identified and measured the DBH (diameter at breast height) of over 500 trees. She also collaborated on the LiDar mapping project on Tall Timbers that tracked the growth rate of almost 1,000 trees. Beyond research projects, Printiss was a member of the Tall Timbers burn crew and used a drip torch on 4 prescribed fires. By ridding forest areas of dead leaves and other debris, a prescribed burn can help reduct insect populations, destroy invasive plants, encourage rejuvenating plant growth and help prevent destructive wildfires.
Due to Florida summer weather, working outdoors is not always feasible. When it rained, Printiss helped input data and edited the Coastal Plain Plants website. Not only did this internship provide hands-on outdoor forestry work, but it also was an opportunity to improve her writing, she said. Printiss learned an extraordinary amount about plant identification and fire throughout her internship and said she was able to directly apply what she learned in her classes in a valuable way. She used knowledge and skills she gained in her classes in dendrology, mensuration and silviculture daily. During this summer experience, she even earned her ATV certification!
For other students who may be interested in an internship with Tall Timbers, Printiss said it is important to be comfortable in the woods alone as there were days she took the truck out to the plots alone for a full day of data collection.
“My favorite thing about this internship was the freedom Tall Timbers allowed. After my first month at this internship, I was allowed to go out and collect data for our research projects alone. This provided an incredible learning opportunity for me and has made me much more confident in my abilities.” – Genevieve Printiss
Programs in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences provide a rich, personal educational experience for students, new discoveries and applications that enrich lives, communities, and natural resources, and lifelong learning opportunities for professionals, policy makers, landowners, youth and the general public. For more information about career planning and assistance preparing to secure an internship of your own, visit the CALS Career Planning webpage.
Comments:
December 15, 2021
Amazing job my friend! Your perseverance and success is inspiring.
December 15, 2021
So very amazed by you Jason! You have made your family and UF so proud. Your story lights a path for others. May you continue leading the way with your perseverance and integrity!
December 15, 2021
Congratulations!!! Very inspiring story, May continue to be a beacon of hope for other young men dealing with similar issues
December 15, 2021
Congratulations Mr. Coby. 11 straight ‘A’s eh? Way to go. Now go forth and fix the environment. Your girls look good with the current graduate. Nicely done. Beautiful fam.
December 15, 2021
Thank you for helping my nephew Jason I know he wasn’t a quicker but is this song I know if it’s Roman it will make it I’m proud of him and I look I love you and we always be there to support you we love you we love you aunt to Mimi
September 14, 2021
You can post my comments.
September 14, 2021
What a wonderful learning opportunity for the college students & it helps with their future education & career planning. Thank you Tall Timbers.
December 22, 2020
Dear sir, Thank you for your post. I Love group study.
December 10, 2020
Dear sir, Thank you for your post. Group study is the main for all students life and we learn a lot of things
November 1, 2020
Congratulations for rewards well earned. Keep up this very important research. We are dependent on the honey bees. Your work is helping educate us all. The use of DDT was stopped due to scientist like you. Please continue to develop more earth friendly solutions for the good of mankind.
August 7, 2020
Congrats-well-deserved!
June 11, 2020
Really appreciate you sharing this article.Really looking forward to read more. Keep writing.
May 12, 2020
Congratulations you earned that degree
May 7, 2020
Congrats Dr. Kawther. With your efforts you make what is difficult, been easy to get. Keep going don’t give up. Always the beginning is difficult but with the patience will be easy.
March 29, 2020
Very true this virus is very contagious, serious and potentially deadly virus hopes we can do what we can to reduce the spread of this virus and find the best solution to eradicate it. I was very scared until now and just stayed at home all day. Thank you for the information.
December 19, 2019
Lindsey is an amazing, competent and caring young woman. She will be an asset to any company forward-looking enough to hire her.
December 19, 2019
Wow! I am so proud of her. Nana
December 14, 2019
Congratulation Rivas, hopefully the knowledge gained can be useful in the future and can help the community. Merry Christmas and happy new year too.
October 1, 2019
So proud of you Adrian!!!
June 21, 2019
Father figures are needed in all parts of education and in all of life. I teach GED to inmates in a local jail and many of the problems these inmates have stems from their many drop out fathers both male and female.
June 20, 2019
Three perfect examples of men with integrity.
April 26, 2019
Way to go, Kendra!
April 1, 2019
Indeed everyone need to eat, and many also complain about the food source quality. I think we all should, at least, do farming in our homes. If the lack of space is a problem, then we should use vertical farming methods. This will not only clean our environment but also reduce the peoples depression (as looking at green reduces depression and is good for mental health).
March 16, 2019
Great information! Thank you Dana for sharing Ms. Clark’s enthusiasm about Florida’s agricultural importance.
March 22, 2018
I am sooo proud of Gallagher n the example given to her by these wonderful women encouraging others to jump in n make a difference. I say take your places with men n unite making the difference side by side. WELL DONE!!!
March 17, 2018
Great article!
February 21, 2018
We are very proud of you and your dedication to make agriculture better.
February 21, 2018
Enjoyed reading your article. It was well written and I could tell that you had put a lot of thought into what you wanted to say. Wishing you a great deal of success as you work toward your dream of becoming a lawyer. May God bless and watch over you as you embark on this journey.
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