Opportunity of a Lifetime: Interning at the Office of Wildland Fire

Belinda points out her home state at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Zoe Belinda. 

BY: ZOE BELINDA

Fire has always been a big part of my life. My parents met while on a fire crew in Colorado, so they constantly talked shop as I was growing up. Living in the West, I also experienced first-hand raging fire seasons almost every summer. Thankfully, my childhood was also spent adventuring, camping, hunting, and fishing on public lands with my mom, dad, and brother. These experiences instilled in me a love for the natural world and a passion to conserve it. 

Speaking from personal experience, I understand the damage that uncontrollable wildfires can do, not only to the environment and our natural resources, but also to our communities. Firefighters and other personnel working on the fireline who face these infernos are heroes, but so are the policymakers who help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. 

In this new era of climate change driving with hotter, larger wildfires, I knew I wanted to help be part of the effort to change this trajectory. I attended the University of Montana and studied environmental policy and natural resource conservation. 

Then, during my sophomore year, I was selected for the William A. Demmer Scholar Program. This competitive cohort sponsored by the conservation nonprofit Boone & Crockett is comprised of around 25 undergraduate and graduate students. The program involves a natural resource policy course and an internship with a conservation organization in Washington, D.C. With my history related to fire and public lands, I jumped at the opportunity to intern with the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire. 

My time interning at the Office of Wildland Fire in D.C. has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only have I been able to fully immerse myself in the cultural landscape of the nation’s capital, but I have been at the perfect intersection of environmental education and real-world policy all summer long. 

Through my 12-week internship program, I have been able to develop relationships with amazing civil servants here at the Department of the Interior, as well as to learn so much more about wildland fire policy and science. I’ve gained technical skills like writing, communication, and public speaking, as well as personal skills like perseverance, humility, and self-confidence. These are all skills I am excited to take with me as I progress through my education and into my professional career. 

One of the main highlights of my time at the Office of Wildland Fire has been working with Interior’s burned area rehabilitation staff. I have been involved in projects to fund plant material development across the West for post-fire rehabilitation using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I was also fortunate enough to travel to Boise, Idaho for a program conference, to tour the National Interagency Fire Center, and to meet face-to-face with some of my coworkers that I had only seen virtually before!

Overall, this summer has been filled so many amazing experiences. I’ve gone on U.S. Capitol tours, met Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland at the Department’s rooftop Fourth of July party, and visited several public lands and parks on the weekends with my peers in the Demmer cohort. 

I am truly grateful for everyone at the Office of Wildland Fire who has welcomed me with open arms and helped me along in this part of my educational journey. I have learned so much about wildland fire and natural resource policy – all of which I will keep with me as I progress through my life and career. Even more, this opportunity has strengthened my passion for the heroic work that is done in this field every day. I am excited for my future in natural resource conservation, and I cannot wait to see where the journey takes me.

Zoe Belinda is a rising junior at the University of Montana Davidson Honors College, double majoring in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Science & Practice with a focus on Environmental Justice and a minor in Wildlife Biology. She was selected as a 2024 Demmer Scholar for the Boone & Crockett Club and is currently completing her internship at the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire.