FNR Field Report - Addy Ellis

Addy Ellis, a sophomore aquatic sciences and political science double major, spent the summer as a biological trainee at Indiana Dunes National Park.

She found out about the position on the USAJobs job board. In looking at the list of what national parks were hiring, Addy found that Indiana Dunes, which is close to her home town of Munster, Indiana, was hiring a seasonal worker.

As a biological trainee, Addy’s work focused largely on native freshwater mussel restoration in the eastern branch of the Little Calumet River.

“While most of my work involved monitoring the health of our freshwater mussels, my duties changed nearly every day,” Addy noted. “Some days I would wade in the river and check the health of our cohorts growing in the river, while other days I would work in the lab and develop mussels through in-vitro propagation.”

Addy said she learned on the job and found her footing in the role throughout the summer.

“The most challenging part of my job was feeling like I was capable enough for the nature of my position,” she said. “I entered a job where I faced a lot of varying expectations. With only one year of school under my belt and mostly in courses that did not directly apply to my major yet, it is safe to say that I knew a lot less about freshwater ecosystems and wildlife management than my coworkers. On occasion, I had to be honest with my supervisors that I did not yet understand some of the technical terms that they were using. I, of course, was met with unwavering patience and understanding, but it still made me feel out of place at times. I learned how to deal with imposter syndrome, and instead used my lack of knowledge as a means to ask questions and learn more. Through this, I was able to make the most of my experience and learn from my peers. I am looking forward to the possibility of returning next summer for further experience.”

Although, her classwork hadn’t accounted for the breadth of the position, Addy said her FNR courses did help in some unexpected ways.

“After taking FNR 201 with Dr. Goforth, I was surprised that my marine biology course would so seamlessly connect with learning in freshwater stream ecosystems,” the marine and freshwater biology concentration student shared. “Obviously some aspects of marine biology do not connect, but the nature of some organisms carries over so well with freshwater organisms. I remember learning about byssal threading in saltwater mussels and was so excited to be able to identify the threading in our own cohorts of mussels.”

Working at Indiana Dunes National Park taught Addy many new skills and also introduced her to a wide array of people.

“My favorite part of my summer at INDU was that every day offered new opportunities for me to learn and grow,” Addy explained. “As an aquatic sciences major, I had little experience with hands-on work in anything wildlife related. But, for a few weeks at a time, my team and I would hike in the late hours of the afternoon to monitor trees for signs of bat habitation. I never would have expected to have had such a new experience.

“Additionally, I was responsible for weekly monitoring of E.coli levels at our beach access locations, so I learned how to properly sample water and utilize lab equipment to determine what levels of E-coli were present in the beaches. Honestly, my favorite part of that task was not taking the samples or running them, but having the privilege to represent the National Park Service as a worker. I spoke with the public often and explained how monitoring works, how to access monitoring results and how to enjoy Lake Michigan safely. I spoke to dozens of people, all with very diverse life experiences. I recall a couple from Colorado, who after attending a wedding on the East Coast took a road trip to visit eastern and midwestern national parks. I was honored to listen to stories of their travels and loved being one of the few workers they had run into on their visit. My most cherished memory is when I was approached by two very young children who asked me to sign their Junior Ranger books. Throughout my childhood, I was that very kid: curious about nature, interested in what it meant to be a park ranger, and there I was being that person for another child.”

Her interactions with the public also had an impact on Addy’s future plans.

“My ability to talk to the public every Wednesday during E.coli testing made me realize that while I love working in a lab setting and participating in hands-on field work, communicating with the public is something I want to heavily incorporate into my field of study at Purdue,” Addy said. “I swelled with pride when I was able to share what my team and I were working on at the Dunes and how it could impact the local community.”

For now, Addy will continue to work as an FNR Ambassador, a position through which she says she is “honored to participate with fellow students and share my love for the department with prospective students.”