Valentina Ocampo and a Sonoran summer to remember

My work was mainly within the Ranchos Regenerativos program in the Cananea region, where I took part in a variety of field activities. We toured ranches, checked site conditions, and did work related to water management and soil conservation, like repairing rock structures to reduce the effects of runoff.

I got to visit different ranches and see the conditions of each site firsthand. This was really interesting to me because my training is in grasslands, soil, and the relationship between the two. Being there and seeing the conditions on the ground makes it much easier to understand how everything is connected to the way each place is managed.

Something else that was very important during my internship was all the people I got to meet. Both the people who work at Sky Island Alliance and the locals, ranchers, vaqueros, and other people in the region taught me a lot. Each one taught me different things based on their experience and way of working.

In my last few weeks, one of the things I enjoyed most was working with wildlife cameras. We worked in Naco, in Moctezuma, and at the border wall. I learned how to use the cameras and review the photos. I really enjoyed learning more about wildlife. Until then, I’d been more focused on soil and grasslands, so it was interesting to see this other side of conservation.

I also want to give special mention to the women I worked with; I was really lucky to cross paths with them. Sharing these months together made my internship a much more rewarding experience.

The internship also let me put into practice things I’d learned in my degree program and learn others that simply can’t be taught the same way in a classroom. Above all, it helped me get a better sense of what it’s like to work in conservation and keep discovering which topics I like within my field.

I’m very grateful to Sky Island Alliance for giving me the opportunity to do my internship with them and for everything I got to see and learn over these months.