Reflections: Biodiversity Stewardship

When I decided to get a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources from Virginia Tech back in March, Biodiversity Stewardship is exactly the type of class that I hoped to take.

I haven't been in school since 2020 (when I graduated with my Master's Degree in Parks, Rec, and Tourism Management from Clemson), so I was afraid that I'd be a bit rusty going into this first class after several years off of school. However, I really enjoyed how the class was set up, the assignments that we had to complete, and I liked that each week's project/assignment built on what we had previously learned.

By far, one of my favorite projects in the class was the week about mapping. I used Google My Maps to create this simple overview of the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, including an outline of the forest itself along with the locations of several waterfalls, trailheads, and other notable sites. I hope to continue developing my mapping skills and to one day be proficient in GIS software.

Check out the Joyce Kilmer Map here.

Another project that I really enjoyed was the Web Soil Survey assignment, which you can read more about in my previous blog post linked above. This is the one that was most unfamiliar to me going in, and the one that I think I learned the most from. There's still a lot that I don't know, so I'm sure that I will spend more time on this website in the future.

Overall, I feel more confident as a student of the natural world coming out of this class. Because I don't have a formal degree in biological sciences, botany, or environmental sciences, I've often felt that I lack the ability to communicate my interests when speaking with individuals who do, especially when the topic of conservation or plant and animal identification comes up. However, I now understand that being a student of the natural world is an ongoing process that isn't necessarily "complete" when one has a degree. After this semester, I have several more tools that I know how to use, and if I don't necessarily know the answer to something offhand, I at least know how to find the answer.

Biodiversity Stewardship was a great introduction to the Natural Resources program at Virginia Tech, and I'm excited to continue learning throughout the rest of the program.