Matowi Kohno, Junior, Natural Resource Science and Management, Fisheries and Wildlife emphasis Hometown: Elk River, MN What was your internship (location, regular job duties)? I was a bear educator intern at the North American Bear Center in Ely, Minnesota. This was my first internship. I took care of 3 black bears named Lucky, Holly, & Tasha. I fed them, cleaned their habitat, and made enrichment activities for them. I also gave tours to guests showing them the bears and educating them about black bears. There were also reptiles and amphibians at the center that I did not take care of but loved to hang out with. The mission of the Bear Center is to educate the public about black bears and to disprove any misinformation about them. How did you find your internship? When I lived in Minnesota, I camped up north with a friend and we went to the Bear Center. There, I saw the pictures of interns on the wall, and I thought, “I want to be an intern!” so I applied and got the job. What was your favorite part of the experience? My favorite part was building a connection with the bears. Animal connection is so precious and genuine, and it was amazing seeing the bears start to trust me. What was the most important thing you learned during this internship that will help you in your career?
The important thing I learned during this internship was that passion is important. Passion is what take you far in life and in what you want to do. My passion is to help and work with wildlife and I was able to do just that with this internship that I am so grateful for. |
