By Robert Windham
Looking back on the summer of 2025, TRGT is excited to share some of the incredible work contributed by our three annual interns: Sydney Fuhrig, Kirsten Young, and Caleb Quisenberry. Caleb and Kirsten are currently pursuing undergraduate degrees in environmental science at Western Carolina University and the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, respectively. Also at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Sydney is completing a Master of Science in environmental science administration and management.
Over the past summer, our interns immersed themselves in a variety of field tasks, gaining experience in everything from trail and campground maintenance to habitat restoration, wildlife research, land management, and more.
Public Access Maintenance
Much of the summer internship was dedicated to the necessary maintenance of our trails and campgrounds. To keep sites in top condition, our interns worked to maintain our public access areas on a two-week rotation. Beyond managing overgrowth along our trails, their work involved campsite renovations like replacing lumber or clearing out overfilled firepits. As providing quality public access is a core objective at TRGT, our interns’ hard work this summer helped to significantly improve the visitor experience across our land.
Photos (from left to right): Sydney maintaining our Aetna Mtn Trails; Camping platform renovations; Kirsten & Caleb painting our Williams Island privy; Camping platform paint job before & after.
Another important aspect of quality public access is the availability of effective signage, for both wayfinding and informational purposes. This summer, a unique part of our internship involved giving interns the opportunity to practice MIG welding. Using a chop saw and MIG welder, Sydney, Kirsten, and Caleb helped fabricate multiple new steel kiosks, which will soon be installed at our trails and campgrounds throughout the gorge.
Photos (from left to right): Chop sawing sections of steel; Welding our kiosks; Kirsten admiring her work!
Habitat Restoration
Habitat restoration in the TN River Gorge this summer involved intensive physical work that tested the strength and stamina of our entire field staff. These days our interns primarily removed and treated invasive species, or at one site, spread native seed and seeding mulch across an entire 10-acre area. For our Mike Linger Pot Point Butterfly Meadow restoration site, invasive Chinese privet and invasive bush honeysuckle were extraordinarily abundant, choking out native species and showcasing the immense challenge of invasive species control. Although restoration at sites like the butterfly meadow was demanding during the summer heat, the intensive effort gave our interns a deeper appreciation and understanding of the importance of stewardship in restoring ecosystem health.
Wildlife Research
On wood thrush tagging days, our field team stealthily entered specific pockets of TRGT property, which were pre-surveyed for wood thrush use, just before dawn. Once at an ideal location, our interns helped set up mist nets and the banding/tagging station on the forest floor. From there, it was a waiting game where each of us monitored the net at different viewpoints and signaled whenever a bird was caught. We then processed, banded, and tagged the birds while our interns recorded data regarding the bird’s morphology, physical condition, and surrounding environmental variables. Throughout the tagging process, our interns gained valuable, hands-on experience in biological field research, learned about the importance of monitoring migratory pathways and habitat use for a declining songbird, and contributed to a long-term dataset that helps inform regional conservation strategies.
Austin Young, TRGT Research & Stewardship Director, teaching about avian wing morphology while tagging a wood thrush.
General in-house or public bird banding mornings were similar to our wood thrush tagging project, though these days involved more nets, more birds, and more learning opportunities for our interns. They experienced core facets of the banding process, such as observing how to properly extract and handle a bird along with how to record the required measurements. Banding days gave them an opportunity to hone their species identification skills across a range of local birds, deepening their knowledge of our surrounding avian community. Thanks to their diligent help and positive attitude, our banding sessions flowed seamlessly.
Photos: TRGT interns practicing banders grip with a hooded warbler at our bird observatory.
Wildlife Encounters
Throughout their time in the gorge, our interns frequently encounter a variety of wildlife, offering valuable learning experiences of our local biodiversity. Some notable moments not pictured below include a timber rattlesnake sunbathing in Prentice Cooper State Forest, a green salamander found at our bird observatory, and a white-tailed deer fawn hiding in tall grass at our storage shed.
Photos (from left to right): Caleb explaining how to determine gender for an eastern box turtle; Corn snake found during refugia surveys; Caleb & a barking tree frog at our Aetna Mtn Bog; Common wormsnake at the Aetna Mtn Trails.
Outreach
In addition to their field work, our interns got to experience a day in the life of a few other local conservation organizations like the Chattanooga Zoo and TN Aquarium Conservation Institute. These visits offered them a chance to explore other career paths within similar fields, network with professionals, and learn from experts in different disciplines. Along with visits to other organizations, they helped lead field trips through the gorge with groups like the Promoting Ethnic Diversity in Zoos Program, highlighting the importance of connecting with and inspiring the next generation from all backgrounds.
Photos (From left to right): Caleb & the PEDZ group, Kirsten with a komodo dragon at the Chattanooga Zoo, Caleb enjoying his time with the Chattanooga Zoo meerkats.
Our summer interns left a lasting mark on the Tennessee River Gorge, and we are grateful for their hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm throughout the season. We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing what they accomplish next!