Hi all! My name is Evelyn Spencer and I worked as one of the Environmental Education & Outreach Interns for Summer 2025 with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County. I am currently enrolled at USF’s Patel College of Global Sustainability earning my master’s degree in Global Sustainability. I spent my summer with Dr. Katherine Clements and Zahir Ringgold Cordes in the Ecology and Natural Resources program developing educational programs and outreach materials, as well as getting hands-on experience around the community. Prior to this internship, I did not know much about Extension services or the work that goes into them, so it was an amazing summer learning about all of the incredible resources UF/IFAS Extension provides Sarasota County.

Agents of Discovery

Agents of Discovery was one of the main projects I worked on during my internship. When I began work in May, the app’s missions had not yet launched for the public, and I was tasked with getting the word out about this new and exciting interactive learning experience! I quickly developed a campaign to promote Agents of Discovery with 21 grid posts, 7 reels, 2 blogs, and 2 long-form videos. Even though this program is new to park locations, it is showing success with lots of excitement from local families!

Throughout the summer, I was able to see local families discover new parks, learn about Sarasota County’s natural environment, and spend quality time together outdoors, all by trying Agents of Discovery. It was wonderful to see this project in these early stages and how hard everyone worked to provide this accessible digital programming to the public. Upon the completion of my internship Sarasota County was named an Agent’s of Discovery “Champion”,  thanks to the hard work everyone put into developing it. Learn more about Agents of Discovery, how to play, and which sites are currently active to play in Sarasota County.

Youth and Family Programs

Arguably one of the best things I got to be a part of this summer were the many educational programs the Ecology and Natural Resources program provides. In the beginning, program assistant Zahir would lead the educational program, to ensure I felt confident to do so myself, and then Zahir would always encourage me to lead portions myself. It was really exciting to be entrusted to lead, and I was able to gain new skills and experiences by doing so. From educating on bears, sharks, snakes, and Florida Scrub-Jays, to assisting families as they try out Agents of Discovery, this hands-on experience with the community was definitely a highlight of my summer.

Data Analysis & Surveys

Something I really appreciated about the UF/IFAS Extension & Sustainability department is how data-driven the programs are. I was able to contribute to this practice by collecting, entering, and analyzing program data as well as creating surveys to be sent out to attendees of future programs. These tools assess knowledge gained, but also how residents may change their behavior to be gentler on our environment here in Sarasota County.

I was happy to contribute to the larger goal of ensuring Sarasota County is a beautiful place to live for many years to come.

Outreach Display Boards

I left my mark on the Ecology and Natural Resources program with the creation of new display boards. Previously, the outreach materials consisted of trifolds with photos of different native species and information blurbs stapled to them. The old trifolds worked fine for programs, but it was determined that updating them with full-panel designs will make the boards sturdier during transportation, while also communicating important information to the public more effectively. With lots of time, and some help from Canva Pro, I was able to design three general wildlife panels, and panels on other native Florida wildlife, such as venomous and non-venomous snakes, alligators, owls, bats to be taken to programs. These panels include engaging photos, helpful information on how to coexist with native wildlife, as well as important phone numbers and resources for wildlife related concerns. It is so important that residents are educated on the natural environment in which they live, and these poster boards should accomplish just that.

Florida Scrub-Jay Survey

One of the most unique experiences I had this summer was when I got to participate in a Florida Scrub-Jay survey at South Venice Lemon Bay Preserve. Prior to the survey, I did not know much about the endemic, threatened Florida Scrub-Jay or its habitat, but upon completing the survey and its training, I fell in love with these beautiful birds. I was warned going into the survey not to get my hopes up, as Scrub-Jays are few and far between and it is possible that we wouldn’t see any, especially at the location I was at. After a few hours of walking around the park for the survey, we managed to see and record two Scrub-Jays at our very last stop!

Professional Developments Days & Mentorship

The most unique part of the Sarasota County internship program is the dedication to quality professional development days and mentorship. From the start, we were encouraged to explore all aspects of county operations with a bus tour around the county. I loved seeing how broad the roles and responsibilities are across departments. Throughout the summer, we went to professional development days focused on resume building, public speaking, networking, and more! On top of the professional development events, we were also connected with a mentor for 1-on-1 support.

I loved my summer interning at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County! I would highly encourage anyone interested to just try it out.

Apply for a Summer 2026 Internship!

I loved my summer interning at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County! I would highly encourage anyone interested to just try it out, it never hurts to apply. Working at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County has been one of the most valuable experiences of my schooling thus far and I know it will lead to great future opportunities.

Learn More about Intern Sarasota County, how to apply, and watch the interns’ final presentations.

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