Savanna Stewart, a student, photographer, and naturalist, recently completed their internship with us as part of our “Resistance Office” program. Sav worked on salmon, sea lions, sea otters, and had a diverse and enriching experience with us.
My Six Months as an Environmental Advocacy Intern
By Sav Stewart
I began my internship as an Environmental Advocacy Intern with TIRN in January 2026. Although the scope of my projects were on the California coast, I did almost all of my work from the opposite side of the country. It was the flexibility of this position that made it so enticing. I am currently in the process of pivoting my career from Computer Engineering to that of the Earth Sciences. While interning with TIRN, I was balancing an additional full-time job and online courses in an Energy & Sustainability Policy program.
This internship was a completely new experience for me. I had the opportunity to write blog posts, produce public comments on upcoming environmental policy changes, craft educational material, collaborate on a white paper, and network with various names in the environmental field. As well, I was able to draft an op-ed, a scientist sign-on letter, and a grant application. Whether I was researching the feasibility of species reintroduction or trying to parse the legalese of potential environmental policy, I understood that my work would lead to a tangible effort that would benefit the environment.
The flexibility of this internship cannot be overstated. I truly was able to make this experience into what I wanted it to be. My main point of contact and mentor was Executive Director Ken Bouley. Together, we went through several project ideas before settling on the reintroduction of southern sea otters in Drakes Estero–an effort that is almost a continuation of previous intern Alex Evripidou’s report on species reintroduction.
I was endlessly surprised at the amount of contacts and resources that I had access to. Even in the early days of my internship where my final project was not yet solidified, I was able to pick the brains of experts in the field. This style of networking continued into my sea otter reintroduction effort and inspired me to do the same. I remember feeling elated and star-struck when I received a thoughtful response from a scientist I had contacted with my specific questions on sea otter predation habits.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to visit both the California and Texas offices. In April, I had the pleasure of meeting with members of the Galveston team. In June, I was finally able to meet Ken in-person and see the beauty of Point Reyes for myself. It was a wonderfully surreal experience, something akin to deja-vu, to visit a location after extensively researching it for six months. My quick trip to Point Reyes was punctuated by hiking the nine-mile trek to Tomales Point in the early morning and looking for bobcats and tule elk with Ken.
When I pursued my first career, it was out of a point of altruism. I wanted to create something that could benefit society and/or the planet. It was during this internship that I felt it was possible for the first time. Even when I was exposed to hurdles, typically in the form of political opposition, I could see the roadmap to meaningful change. I cannot overstate what a wonderful opportunity this internship was.
