Dr. Robert Zarr of Washington, D.C. is writing a whole new kind of prescription for…
By Emma Sherrill, TLC's Spring Education & Outreach Intern
During my time with Triangle Land Conservancy, I learned that conservation work is about so much more than protecting nature; it’s about how people use and move through land. Working on the Education and Outreach team made it clear that while experiences in the natural environment can and do happen organically, they are also often shaped by the hard work of people planning, gathering materials, and creating unique programs.
A lot of my internship focused on the behind-the-scenes work that supports just some of the offering’s TLC provides to the Triangle. I regularly updated the Hiking Challenge database, sending participants encouraging letters, patches, and prize packs as a reward for visiting TLC’s preserves. Alongside this, I restocked tabling kits and supplies, analyzed trail accessibility, and created descriptions of each unique trail at TLC. These tasks were sometimes repetitive, but they proved the importance of coordination and consistency in public programs and events. If a participant’s hikes weren’t recorded correctly, or if materials weren’t easily accessible and ready to go, things could easily go awry.
Other parts of the internship made the link between land protection and people’s use and movement through nature more visible. At Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, I helped place clay lovebirds along the trails for Valentine’s Day weekend, watching how something as simple as a temporary installation could shape where people stopped, looked, and observed. For our “Wild Ideas: You Are a Force for Nature” event, I led a Boosting Biodiversity activity to show attendees that there is no single “right” way to engage with nature, and that diversity strengthens both ecosystems and communities. TLC has a mission to reinforce that protected lands are welcoming, accessible, and cared for by people of all backgrounds and abilities. Essentially, people can engage with nature however they please! Participants picked up laminated cards to learn about unique qualities in different species, before moving to a drawing board. I asked them to draw themselves enjoying the outdoors in their favorite way, and I was surprised by both the creativity shown and the diversity of activities enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
Personal time spent on preserves hiking with staff added another layer to my experience. In speaking with staff members like Amaya, Meera, Florencia, Emma, and others across teams, I got a clearer sense of how TLC’s individual parts come together to create one united front. Conversations ranged from trail management strategies to outreach and advertising strategies, but they all pointed to the fact that conservation work depends on enthusiastic coordination between people with different roles and passions.
As someone interested in environmental law and policy, this experience made the idea of “access” more concrete. It is not just about whether land is protected; rather, it is shaped by how spaces are set up, how programs are run, and how people are invited in. That is a lesson I vow to carry forward as I think about how policy decisions are translated into real experiences outdoors!
On a personal note, I want to thank the entire Education and Outreach Team (Amaya, Kayla, and Meera) for their guidance these past couple of months. Their enthusiasm and passion were contagious, and I could not be more grateful for the time I spent as part of the squad. Here’s to trying new things, protecting and uplifting the environment, and encouraging diversity in all things human and not!
