Fall 2021 ForestLife
Meet Our Summer Intern Court Ballinger
Undeterred by extreme heat, poor air quality, or steep terrain, Court Ballinger spent his summer as a PFT intern working in the Klamath Siskiyou Mountains to help Pacific Forest Trust prepare for the stewardship of the 1,120-acre Mount Ashland Forest. Court, a senior at Oregon State University’s School of Forestry, was interested in gaining practical field experience in forest management planning, and this internship was perfectly suited for that!
Almost all of Court’s time was spent in the field, learning about and documenting the unique forests, meadows, riparian habitats, and other features that help illustrate why this ecoregion is a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. Jack Singer, Stewardship Associate at PFT, supervised and trained Court to observe and document key aspects of the property that will inform PFT’s plans for restoration and management activities as the future owners of this remarkable place. All his hard work resulted in an inventory of the property’s roads, documentation of invasive plants, fish habitat surveys, and descriptions of current conditions across the property’s many meadows, springs, riparian areas, and other diverse habitats.
Court set quite the model for intern savvy, perseverance, and dedication!