My name is Mindy Prieur and I am a proud Wildlife and Conservation Biology student at the University of New Hampshire.  I am driven by a passion for conservation and an interest in community outreach, so it is an exciting opportunity to be a summer intern for an organization that shares those values, UNH Extension’s Nature Groupie.  Aligned with my interests in field work and conservation, I am looking forward to spending the summer working outdoors with agencies such as New Hampshire Fish and Game and the Town of Durham.  

I am originally from suburban San Jose, California where wildlife is a rare sight.  I relied on my experiences retreating to the Sierras to ignite my love of nature.  As a San Francisco Zoo youth volunteer, I learned a great deal about international conservation issues and how these affect wildlife.  I was determined to spend my life focused on conserving threatened wildlife species.  Before heading to college, I spent some time working as a paraprofessional with students with autism.  Recalling my desire to dedicate my life to conserving wildlife, I moved to New Hampshire and began attending Great Bay Community College, before transferring to the University of New Hampshire.  At UNH, I have been lucky enough to participate in research on the endangered American Burying Beetle, under the supervision of Dr. Carrie Hall and Dr. Dan Howard.  Incorporating this into a class research project, my group had the honor to be the first people to record and listen to the sounds of the American Burying Beetle in a natural setting. 

I am looking forward to the dynamic experiences offered by the summer Nature Groupie internship, include eel monitoring and banding seagulls on the Isle of Shoals.  I also plan on spending my summer expanding my repertoire of juggling skills, and reading as much as I can.