New Internship and Mentorship Program

Helping People Help Their Park!

One Mile dam and footbridge — photo by intern Eddie Wilson

Friends of Bidwell Park (FOBP) are excited about our new Internship Program, which allows students to gain important job, communications and leadership skills while completing independent projects that directly benefit Bidwell Park. With six CSU Chico students already having completed the program and two more recently signed-up, it has quickly proven its value.

FOBP has decided to build on this success by adding a volunteer community mentorship component. Mentors will be local professionals, community leaders, or otherwise knowledgeable and experienced individuals. They will be matched with students based on the nature of student-project needs and other student interests. Volunteer Mentors will provide students with direction and advice on their Bidwell Park projects and perhaps their future career goals. They will also help the interns by connecting them with other resources and knowledgeable people. We hope these Mentors will also provide ideas for potential projects for future interns to consider.

FOBP is making a significant financial investment in this program by retaining an internship coordinator to work with, supervise, and evaluate participating student interns, and coordinate with volunteer Mentors. The coordinator also will provide orientation and training for new interns, with field trips to Lower, Middle, and Upper Parks during which natural, cultural, and recreational resources are emphasized.

We believe the key to sustaining Bidwell Park for the future is to bring community members together to work on projects that directly benefit the park. The number of students seeking internships is steadily growing and the success of this program now depends on the ability of FOBP to raise funds annually to support the internship coordinator position.

We began offering internships in February 2011 and since then six students have successfully completed the program. These are:

Recreation & Parks major Josh Richardson mapped and removed Lower Park invasive plants, evaluated the condition and maintenance needs of picnic sites, and documented Lower Park trail erosion problem areas.
Agriculture major Tyler Walsh started work on a new vegetation restoration site between the two Madrone Ave. Lower Park entrance paths.
Hydrology major Kyle Regan mapped and evaluated working condition of the 52 drainage culverts crossing under Upper Park Road, noting areas that needed immediate attention and future repair work.
Recreation and Parks major Rick Helgerson learned to use a Trimble GPS unit and then mapped and photographed Lower and Middle Park's 42 seasonal rock dams. He also honed GIS skills by creating GIS layers of Upper Park infrastructure to add to the city's park mapping files.
Communications major Eddie Wilson investigated and documented locations of historic photographs of Bidwell Park and researched associated copyright laws regarding their use. Eddie also practiced his photography techniques in Bidwell Park and provided FOBP with photographs for use on our website.
Recreation and Parks major Kara Li began work on an annual Bidwell Park events and activities calendar, documenting the many groups that use the park on a regular basis and the public events that they provide in the park.

Rock dam in Lower Park — photo by intern Rick Helgerson

This fall, two new students (Mitch Bush and Bowman Chaney) will start their projects as part of graduation requirements for their B.A. degrees in Communication Studies. Each will research ways to increase fundraising for Bidwell Park. Mitch also plans to map old barbed-wire fencing in Upper Park, which remains a hazard to park users and wildlife alike. Additionally, he will develop a plan and budget for its final removal.

In summary, the FOBP Internship Program has proven successful, providing tangible benefits for students, Bidwell Park, and Chico's community. To ensure future success and guarantee growth of the program, we are seeking support from you.

We are seeking financial contributions for support of the part-time Intern Coordinator position. Importantly, we need volunteers to share your experience, ability, and a little time as a Mentor for our Student Intern Program. Any help you are willing to provide is important, and will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,
Friends of Bidwell Park