Students from Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources took their classroom knowledge to the field for summer internships and paid positions across the country, gaining valuable experience, hands-on training and career guidance. The FNR Field Reports series offers updates from those individuals as their positions draw to a close.
Freshman wildlife major Donatella Mudica spent the last summer before coming to Purdue as a seasonal interpretive naturalist at Turkey Run and Shades State Parks.
In this role, the Rockville, Indiana, native was assigned to take care of the animal ambassadors who lived in the nature center and to create and present environmental programs such as guided hikes, workshops, and hands-on activities for schools, youth groups, adult groups and the general public. Donatella also offered information to park patrons about the natural world and answered any questions they had about the surrounding environment and Indiana state parks.
The summer position was a childhood dream come true for Mudica.
“I actually found out about the position of a naturalist when I was quite young,” Donatella explained. “My mom and I would visit state parks all over Indiana and my favorite part of our trips was visiting the nature center. I would always have amazing interactions with the naturalists who worked there. I loved how they taught environmental education in a fun and unique way, and I decided that's what I wanted to do too. I have always had the inclination that I wanted to be a naturalist, so this has been my dream job for many years.”
While Mudica had yet to take any forestry and natural resources classes at Purdue to apply in her summer role, she learned many lessons that will help her throughout her studies and into her future career.
“I learned so much about the ecosystem that I worked in,” she said. “I researched and performed programs ranging from tree and flora identification, herpetology, and ornithology, to astronomy and the history of Turkey Run and Shades State Parks. I was also taught how to create a working lesson plan, to adapt to my audience, and to overcome my previous fears of public speaking. Since I've been here at Purdue, I see how my classes will greatly benefit my future career and allow me to have an even better season than last year.”
Working with the animals on site and the people who visited the parks were highlights of the position for
Mudica.
“My favorite parts of the job were working with our animal ambassadors and showing them to people,” Donatella shared. “I typically worked with our Kingsnake and showed him to people who had underlying fears of snakes to ease their minds. I loved talking with children with all the questions in the world, and also when they would bring me fun things they found outside. At Indiana State Parks, we have an Explore Pin program that allows people to earn a pin after they do a set of tasks that help the environment and enable them to learn new things about it. I participated in this program when I was young, and I loved being the facilitator for it, allowing kids to have the experience I had when I was little too.
“The most challenging part was overcoming the fear of doing my first program. I participated in the Interpretive Naturalist training this past May, where I had to create and execute a program within a few days. I had never done something like that before and was quite nervous. When I eventually stood up in front of my coworkers, my fears vanished, and I just spoke like I had practiced. I felt good afterward and realized this was the job for me.”
The future is wide open for Mudica as she embarks on her studies at Purdue, but this past summer will stick with her.
“The entire experience as a whole was life-changing,” Donatella said. “My boss took a chance on me and gave me this wonderful opportunity, even though I was still a high school student. I will forever be grateful to have been able to work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and to work with Turkey Run and Shades state parks.”
Since arriving on campus at Purdue, Mudica has joined the Student Chapter of Environmental Education.
A collage of images from Donatella Mudica's summer at Turkey Run and Shades State Parks. Top row (Left to right): Trail 5 at Shades State Park, one of the most rugged trails at Shades. This picture was taken while Donatella was pre-hiking for a night hike she hosted; The rock face on Trail 4 at Turkey Run State Park. Donatella enjoys this trail because it follows the creek and show the geology that exists at the park; a hickory tree on Trail 1 at Turkey Run State Park. Trail 1 is known for its large and old trees; Trail 4 at Turkey Run State Park; Narrows Covered Bridge, which sits over the area where the creek begins to narrow. The bridge ties into the history of the part and was spotlighted in some of Donatella's interpretive programs. Row 2: A bullfrog a child brought to Donatella in the Nature Center; Donatella holds Kingsnake, one of the park's animal ambassadors. On slow days, Donatella would take him outside and let him soak up the sun, while people passing by would often ask questions about him and snakes in general; an eastern box turtle that Donatella found near Sugar Creek in Turkey Run State Park. Eastern Box turtles are a species of special concern and are protected in Indiana; A chipmunk eats food that Donatella placed in the bird feeders at the Nature Center each morning. Row 3: A wild white aster at Turkey Run State Park; a trumpet vine, one of Donatella's favorite flowers, is a native plant that was found outside the Nature Center; a Ghost Pipe found at Turkey Run State Park. The Ghost Pipe has no chlorophyll and gets its nutrients feeding off of other plants by infiltrating its roots. 
