Meet NCC’s 2024 summer interns: Rishona Vemulapalli
Rishona Vemulapalli, NCC Intern 2024 (Photo by NCC)
If I could summarize what I learned about Rishona from my conversations with her in three words, it would be that she is outdoorsy, self-driven and curious. Especially when it comes to her work at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).
It was a delight to talk to Rishona Vemulapalli — an enthusiastic conservation technician from the eastern Ontario stewardship team — as we discussed how her studies aided her into learning more about NCC, what she has learned so far, and her overall love for nature.
She first learned about the organization through an NCC environmental biologist, who spoke at a lecture in one of her undergraduate classes. She saw the speaker as a source of inspiration for her work. Coincidentally, Rishona had just applied for the internship. “I just thought that she seems really cool, has an awesome job, and gets to spend time outside,” she says.
Canadian tiger swallowtail butterfly on non-native creeping thistle, Frontenac Arch, ON (Photo by Rishona Vemulapalli/NCC staff)
As a recent graduate of environmental biology at Queen’s University, Rishona has learned a lot about conservation through her NCC internship. Whether it is on manual and chemical invasive plant control or helping in outreach activities for NCC, she has expressed an interest in learning more about conservation in general.
“I’ve learned about species identification before, and I loved applying it to real-life practices such as identifying trees and different plants,” she shares. “I also just learned what baseline inventory is — in which [the team] goes to a site and we mark down anything that we see, such as species at risk, invasive communities, the kinds of vegetation surrounding the land. It is something that I just got to learn and apply as conservation technician, so it has been cool to expand on those skills.”
Rishona also added that coming into this internship, she truly cares about the “species at risk, which [she] wants to protect,” including “snakes and turtles on the road” that she is always looking out for by taking notes about her field observations on them.
Eastern ratsnake in tree at Frontenac Arch, ON (Photo by Rishona Vemulapalli/NCC staff)
Additionally, being more involved in outreach activities is something Rishona looks forward to as a conservation technician. “I would like to have more opportunities to work with people. I’ve got to be a part of a huge open house and interpretive hikes and got to navigate how talk to others about what NCC does. I enjoyed engaging with people in those ways.”
Aside from being a conservation technician, Rishona is also an avid nature photographer and an overall outdoorsy person. "Nature photography has always been a big passion of mine. Alongside that, I like spending time outdoors. I’m actually training for a duathlon right now, which is running and biking.”
Great blue heron juvenile perched in nest at Frontenac Arch, ON (Photo by Rishona Vemulapalli/NCC staff)
She also gets the opportunity to showcase her photography skills during her internship. “I feel like this internship has really shaped my creative side when it comes to photography. I'm really glad that NCC gives me the opportunity take photos while I’m working. It's nice to bring out a camera and be creative at work,” she tells me gleefully.
For all the future NCC interns applying for her position, Rishona gives a wonderful piece of advice: “Just be passionate about your work. When you are applying for the job, convey your passions! Also, say yes to trying new things and learning new skills.” In terms of working under the heat, she says that taking care of oneself is important. “Take breaks from working outside and inform your supervisor about certain accommodations you need.”
The 2024 Conservation Intern Program in Ontario is proudly supported by 407 ETR.
About the Author
Kyla Cortez is the Nature Conservancy of Canada's internal communications & culture intern for the summer of 2024. She is currently doing a double major in English and book and media studies at the University of Toronto. Aside from journalism and academics, she loves birds, going to parks and travelling to different places.
