Meet our newest summer intern, Safe Passages Field Coordinator Ingrid Lexova!
Ingrid joined the Alliance team in May and has been working with wildlife crossings volunteers to help launch the next phase of the campaign to bring a network of safe wildlife crossings to Teton County and on developing a research project to help gauge public support for crossings in the valley. She’ll be with us through July, so be sure to say hello when you see her out in the community talking to folks about wildlife.
You can learn more about Ingrid in the Q&A below.
Tell us about yourself.. Where are you from? Where do you go to school? What do you study? What do you like to do in your free time?
I am from Austria, and am half-Slovak and half-American. I go to school near Pittsburgh, PA, at Washington & Jefferson College. My majors are Environmental Studies and English. In my free time, I like being outdoors, reading and practicing yoga.
Why did you apply for an internship with the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance? What do you like about the organization and what are you excited to learn more about?
I applied because I wanted to experience the inner workings of a non-profit and understand what it takes to make one successful. I liked that JHCA has been committed to bettering its community for decades, and its location close to Grand Teton National Park and in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I’m excited to learn more about wildlife crossings and how they will benefit this community!
Tell us about your internship in your words. What elements of the position are you most excited or nervous about? What do you hope to learn?
My internship involves field organizing for the wildlife crossings campaign and a survey to assess attitudes toward wildlife crossings. I am excited to contribute to the Alliance’s mission, and I hope to learn how to work and cooperate in a professional setting, and how to recruit volunteers.
Do you have any great wildlife stories from your childhood?
My fondest memories of wildlife are from family vacations to Finland. Once, I was in a paddleboat on a tranquil lake in the middle of the forest, and was lucky enough to spot a mink only a few feet away on the shore. I watched it play around and bathe in the water for a long time, but when I went to grab my sisters to show them, it had disappeared.
What are you most excited about living in Jackson Hole for the summer?
I’m excited to spend some time in the West, and to explore the surroundings that are so unlike the rolling hills in Pennsylvania. I hope to visit the national parks and just enjoy the beautiful scenery and wildlife.
