Start Your Journey in Conservation with the Anna Beal Internship

For decades, the Anna Beal Conservation Internship has provided Iowa students with an unparalleled opportunity to gain hands-on experience in conservation. 

Designed to inspire and equip the next generation of environmental leaders, this 11-week program offers real-world training in land stewardship, habitat restoration and wildlife protection. This internship is more than just an educational experience—it’s a transformative journey. Interns work alongside conservation professionals, building skills that serve as a stepping stone to careers in environmental stewardship. 

Many former interns have gone on to work with The Nature Conservancy, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and academic institutions, leveraging the expertise and connections gained through this program.

One such success story is Karla Bloem, a former Anna Beal Intern and now Executive Director of the International Owl Center. She credits the program with providing foundational conservation skills and lasting friendships. 

“The basic prairie skills I learned—plant identification, seed collection, invasive species control—have been invaluable throughout my career,” she says. Decades later, she still applies these lessons in her work. “Even grunt work like digging post holes and fencing are skills I’ve used many times wending my way through my career path,” she says.

The impact of this internship extends far beyond the summer. It fosters a lifelong commitment to conservation, strengthening Iowa’s environmental community and preparing future leaders to tackle pressing ecological challenges.

Bloem says that the friendships she formed that summer have stood the test of time. “The entire internship made for the most fun and memorable summer of my life!” she recalls. "Our crew in 1993 was very close, and I still keep in touch with the majority of the crew."

The friendships she built with her internship crew remain strong over 30 years later, and the hands-on skills she developed have guided her work. “I almost didn’t apply because I considered myself more of a forest person, but I’m so glad I did,” she says.