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.
Senior forestry major Hannah Kaluf, who has a concentration in forest management and minors in
psychology and wildlife, spent her summer as an extension intern working with Dr. Jessica Outcalt and extension wildlife specialist Jarred Brooke.
“I met Jarred Brooke last summer through my other internship,” Kaluf said. “He was doing prairie sampling and I really enjoyed it, so he asked me if I would be interested in doing a research project and potentially an internship in the future. I was so excited all I could say was "cool!" I've been working on a research project with him this past school year and he offered me the internship, since I am interested in working in extension in the future.”
As an extension intern, she assisted with events like 4-H camps and workshops, and completed grassland vegetation sampling, data analysis, ArcGIS mapping. She also created resources to teach landowners more about various topics in natural resources.
“I learned so much about the role of extension in natural resources and how the extension network works across Indiana and even other states,” Kaluf explained. “I saw firsthand how extension serves as a neutral bridge between the trusted research of land-grant universities and the general public and how extension makes that research both accessible and applicable to real-world land management decisions. I also gained a deeper understanding of habitat management. I realized that being a good land steward isn’t just about knowing timber, plant species or wildlife in isolation—it’s about caring for the whole ecosystem holistically.”
Hannah’s favorite part of the job was helping teach at the high school 4-H camp. She said the teens were curious about natural resources and fun to be around.
She said the most challenging part of the internship was doing office work.
“The office work was not hard in itself, but staying focused and sitting still for long periods was a big change from the more manual-labor focused jobs I've had in the past,” Kaluf shared. “Having field work breaks was very helpful.
“Outside of work, I enjoyed exploring local natural areas that I hadn’t visited before and my best friend and I planned our own camping trip for the first time. We'd been camping before with our families but doing it on our own was a very rewarding experience.”
The Brookston, Indiana, native, has been involved in the Society of American Foresters and is an FNR Ambassador.
As she looks ahead to the future, this internship helped solidify her career plans.
“This position affirmed that natural resource extension is exactly where I want to be,” Kaluf said. “Something that really stood out was watching how respected my supervisors were, even in situations where people disagreed. Their ability to build trust with landowners and professionals through good listening, in-depth knowledge of their field and humility is something I deeply admire.”
