Introduction Blog Post (6/2/2024)

 Hello everyone!

Welcome to my summer blog where I will be documenting my summer internship experience at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, Environmental Surveillance Division. I am entering my senior year at the University of Vermont, and I'm majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. 

My first day is tomorrow, June 3rd, and I am very excited. I will be doing a variety of things, such as tick and mosquito collection from a multitude of sites throughout the entire state of Vermont. In the lab, I will spend time identifying these samples, rearing larvae for the lab's collection, and collaborating with the CDC in collecting Culiseta melanura blood meal samples. Additionally, I will work on a data analysis project throughout my internship period.

Last summer I worked for a small mosquito control district doing similar work to the work I will be doing this coming summer. I enjoyed the work I did last year, especially time spent in the field. I am excited to further hone my fieldwork and lab skills. What excites me so much about this summer is that I get to monitor the entire state of Vermont, so I will see so many different places and ecosystems. I'm also eager to learn and understand the public health aspect of managing for vector borne diseases. 

Cheers!

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