Environmental Services Intern, Hannah Liske, has spent her summer collecting and testing water samples, organizing paperwork, and more.
Her big project for the summer involves analyzing the vegetation on the completed sides of Near Field. She will then develop a fertilizer and seeding plan to provide better coverage. She expects to complete this plan, though she likely won’t get to see it come to fruition due to the timeframe of work being in the fall.
Hannah has learned a great deal at Prairie State. “I feel like every day I learn something new or see something I did not realize was there last week. I came in thinking I knew the basics of what was going on out here, but I was definitely wrong.” She has now come to learn about the power generation cycle from start to finish, including the role water plays in this process.
She has really enjoyed getting to be outside and learning things hands on. “I really enjoy and appreciate all who have given me a tour and explained different processes. It really helps me understand things. My favorite part was getting a stack tour and looking out across Washington and surrounding counties.”
While Hannah plans to continue her studies in agribusiness, she would not be opposed to looking into master’s or educational classes dealing with environmental studies. She plans to continue on with her degree and graduate in December. Hannah does hope to find herself full-time at Prairie State in the future, as she really likes her coworkers and the feeling of continuous learning.