An internship sparks a career with the Habitat Organization

By Will Benkelman

Editor's note: Here at PF & QF we have a wide array of talented individuals all across the country working hard every day to deliver our mission, all with unique backgrounds and skillsets. In our new blog series, "Why Conservation," we feature some of the incredible employees that make up the PF & QF family. Each of these blogs will highlight background information on the employee, the important work they do for the organization and answer the important question of — Why Conservation?

In theory, I was not aware of the concept of conservation until some point in high school. In practice, however, I had seen conservation modeled through my grandfather and father my entire life.

They modeled conservation during days spent in the fields of west-central Kansas from as far back as I can remember. From a young age, I always enjoyed going outside and seeing what I could discover. The typical setting was my dad taking me fishing. But as a kid, the frogs and snakes were much more intriguing than catching fish. Conservation, for me, started with these moments.

My outdoor education is deeply rooted in Trego County, Kansas. My grandparents lived in Trego County, where my grandfather was the longtime optometrist in the community. He would trade eye exams in the summer for hunting access in fall. When I was still in the height of my snake-chasing stage, I would join my family in the dove fields and the pheasant and quail rows with a BB gun in-hand. I eventually got a shotgun of my own, and I remember my first dove, my first quail, and finally my first pheasant.

At some point in high school, my mom asked me what I wanted to study in college. She mentioned how much I liked being outside, and that maybe I should look into studying the environment.

I got my Bachelor of Science in Environment and Natural Resources from the University of Wyoming, and I stayed at UW to earn my Master of Science in Environment, Natural Resources and Society. As a college student I took numerous classes that provided the academic foundation of the value and importance of conservation. I learned about the North American model, wildlife law and the value of private lands conservation. I spent my summers working in adjacent fields as a visitor survey technician with Wyoming State Parks, a maintenance technician for Laramie City Parks, and most importantly, a field technician intern with Pheasants Forever in Imperial, Nebraska.

I did not realize the impact that summer in Imperial would have on me. I knew of Pheasants Forever from my grandfather and father, but I had no idea the impact the organization had on private land conservation. My Farm Bill biologist, Heather Francis, showed me the ropes of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract reviews, and was an incredible mentor. She helped me identify grass and forb species, and with that knowledge the short grass prairie of southwestern Nebraska exploded with color.

I would cruise the backroads of Chase and Dundy Counties to check the status of landowner's CRP contracts — windows down, sun shining. I absolutely loved it. I lived in the Northside Motel at the edge of town, and after work I would head down to Enders State Park and fish till dark.

I always read by lamplight to end my day — "The Earth is Enough" by Harry Middleton had a specifically profound impact on me during that time. I described that summer as a "conservation monk summer" and it is the most important time of my life outside the moment I met my fiancé.

Every minute I spent working for Pheasants Forever was incredible. That summer influenced my graduate research because I had seen the deep beauty and importance of grassland habitats. I conducted my research on the conservation potential of grassland carbon programs due to all those hours counting species in CRP fields.

After grad school, I got a job in natural resource facilitation and learned a lot about to how to be a professional. After a year of facilitation work, I began applying for jobs, and then I finally came across a job posting with Pheasants Forever. I submitted my application for the Bear River watershed resilience project coordinator, and was overjoyed to accept the position when it was offered to me.

I am now back with Pheasants Forever, and love every moment I get to spend working on conservation outcomes in the Bear River watershed.

I chose conservation because I was raised in it — I am dyed in the wool. I chose to live a life that would keep me close to the positive outcomes of conservation decisions made by the generation before me — fishing, hunting, hiking, camping in the American West. There really was not another option for me. I'm grateful for the opportunity to turn my passion into my career, and am honored to be an employee with Pheasants Forever.