The first thing I did with G.E.M was  to help build the mobile office that we would call home for the duration of our internship. We took a toy hauler, salvaged the parts from the previous mobile office, and built a new one. After weeks of work we had a finished home base for the field that consisted of four folding beds, a bathroom, a shower, a kitchen, and an area to relax, eat, and cool off after a hard days work.
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We left in June for our first trip to the mountains where we stayed for a week and mapped out over 40 abandoned features. During this time we were trained on identifying features such as pits, shafts, and mine adits. We also learned how to use the handheld G.P.S devices to map and describe the features in front of us. There were some amazing views and some good laughs but the work wasn't nearly over.

​We came home for the 4th of July.  After a week, the break was over and we were heading back out into the field. For our second trip, we went to a desert region that was much drier than the mountains we previously studied . The days were long and the sun was hot but we always had a cold drink and a good meal waiting for us when we turned in for the day. We were in this area for about two weeks and everyday was a great experience, with new things coming our way all the time. It seemed like every day there was something new and it was always fun or super interesting. 

The G.E.M. Environmental team gathered this past Friday to install the Little Free Libraries at some of the local Prescott schools. The teachers and students were very excited about the opportunity to exchange their used books for a new story to read! Sticking to G.E.M. Environmental’s mission to get kids interested in the STEM fields, every Little Free Library has been stocked with books about science, technology, engineering, and/or math. Listening to a specific request, we have put a copy of Rachel Ignotofsky’s book Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World in every Little Free Library that we created! We hope that this book and all the other books that are being donated can inspire girls to find their own passion and help them learn that they have the power to change the world.

Kicking off our fall semester's GEM For STEM lectures, Anthony Araza gave an amazing lecture for Dr. Boyd’s Geology 101 class. Mixing humor with facts, Anthony explained the benefits of getting a career in the STEM fields. He included statistics that demonstrated the increase in STEM jobs as well as the discussing how the average salary for a job in a STEM field is significantly more than most non-STEM field careers. Many students expressed that they enjoyed the lecture and were happy to be exposed to a variety of different careers that they could enter after graduation. There were multiple students who asked Anthony for career advice after the lecture, and he was able to answer all of their questions with detailed examples from his own career as a transport engineer and budget specialist.

We at G.E.M. Environmental are very excited that our first lecture of the semester went so well and are excited to continue our G.E.M. For STEM lecture series! 
For more information on how to volunteer for one of these classroom lectures,
contact our Program Coordinator Madison Link at Madison@gemenvironmental.org.

Thank you to GEM's newest sponsor - Decals By Danelle. They provided some beautiful GEM for STEM decals at a huge discount.

A great big THANK YOU from all of us at GEM!

On September 7th, G.E.M. Environmental held a building event to create Little Free Libraries that will be posted at 3 different schools: Mountain Oak School, Primavera School, and a school with the Prescott Unified School District. In a great show of support, ten volunteers came to help with the building project!

Not only was it amazing to see the support that G.E.M. Environmental gets from community members, we also saw it through the incredible donations that we got to support the project.

Prescott True Value Hardware was the first to show their support by donating one gallon of wood primer, and Home Depot showed their support by donating the rest of the materials needed for free! We also got two dozen donuts donated to us for our hardworking volunteers by one of the favorite local shops, Outlaw Donuts.

it was amazing to see the Prescott community collaborating on a project that could benefit over 500 students! As this event was such a success, and also a lot of fun, we hope that members and supporters of G.E.M. Environmental will continue help us make sustainable impacts in our community.

Thank you to everyone who came out this weekend to help us build Little Free Libraries to be placed around Prescott for the community to enjoy.

Check out our Events page to learn more about upcoming events and how to get involved.

Curious what it's like to be a field intern? G.E.M. Environmental is pleased to share a success story from one of our former field interns, Elliott Hoy. Here’s his experience in his own words:

In the summer of 2019, I spent June and July in the desert exploring old mining districts to find and document abandoned mines for future closures. I worked as an intern through AmeriCorps at G.E.M. Environmental, led by Eric Welsh. This trip gave me the opportunity to learn about Geology and gain further perspective to my future.

I am currently a geology student at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. In the coming semester I will be transferring to NAU in Flagstaff, Arizona to finish my bachelor's degree in geology. Before my time at Yavapai, I spent some time traveling and working in IT. It took me a few years to discover a path in life that I enjoyed so much.

While out in the desert, we lived out of a large trailer built and designed by Eric for the expedition. We had a full kitchen, fold-down bunks, showers, a toilet, and a general living area. Our mornings started with breakfast cooked by one of the team members, based on a rotating chore list. We then prepped our gear and loaded the UTVs before heading off. While out in the field we each had a satellite tablet that was used to document the mining features we each found, then used flagging tape to mark them. Lunch was eaten each day out in the field, usually in the last few hours of each working day. Our goal was to be finished with the days work by 3 or 4pm to beat the afternoon heat.

The work was based around assigning danger ratings to mining features. Working with great geologists, such as Eric and Robert, I was able to learn much more about mineralization and localized faulting.

As the days passed and the life of a field geologist became my life, it put into perspective what future life could be like. Along with geology skills, the creation of a livable space in the trailer and dealings with the hardships of day-to-day life, I also developed life skills that will last well past my graduation date.

Whether you are going into field geology, research, or are unsure of your career direction, I would highly recommend an internship, such as this one. While in school and going to classes it is hard to fully grasp what geology means and the types of people that you will be working with unless you participate in an internship. The large variety of skills you’ll learn along with the unique challenges is a great way to further complete that picture. I hope you enjoyed my story.

G.E.M. Environmental is excited to share another new addition to our monthly blog series - Science Stories. Each month, we interview a STEM scholar, student, or community member and ask them things like why they believe the STEM fields are important, how they got started in their field, to what they would do if they hit the jackpot. We hope that our new blog series will inspire, introduce a variety of fields, and create new conversations. 

Our guest this month is Michael Link, who for the past 25 years has worked in the areas of survey research and data science, and as an executive who leads large teams doing contract work for the federal government. He earned a Ph.D. in political science at the University of South Carolina, where he learned about conducting survey research and opinion polls. This data is critical for researchers, policymakers, and others to understand how the public thinks about critical issues such as health, environment, education, and the like. It is considered an "applied research" field, where the results often have a direct impact on improving the lives of people not just in the United States but globally.

Why do you believe that the STEM fields are important?
We live in an exciting time of vast change in every facet of our lives and these are all driven by applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The need for talented, energetic, and inventive people in these fields is critical. STEM related disciplines are fundamentally changing how we receive health care and finding new cures for diseases; helping to combat climate change and find new ways to generate renewable energy; improving our food supply to help feed growing global populations; as well as offering us a range of commercial technology to improve out lives, such as Siri, self-driving cars, interconnected "smart" devices of all kinds. STEM is driving change globally.

How and why did you get involved in the STEM fields?
Interestingly I made a switch in college from a focus on biology and genetics to more social science applications. I have always had an interest in research and analyses. While my initial foray into the medical field was interesting (I was a lab technician in several hospitals running patient tests), I found myself more drawn to the scientific understanding of how people think and behave. I made a switch in graduate school to political science & sociology, focusing less on academic research and more applied research -- that is, research primarily for federal, state and local agencies determining how people think about issues of interest and measuring how they behave when it comes to issues such as health, job seeking, educational attainment. I find this type of work very rewarding, particularly when the results of my research are used to improve policies that help improve people's lives.

Can you describe another aspect of your life or career that is influenced or enriched by the STEM fields that people would find surprising?
Drones -- I'm an amateur drone pilot and fascinated with the technology behind these amazing machines. I combine that with my love of photography and drones allow me to now takes pictures that give a unique view of the world. It a great hobby that combines both engineering with art in a fun and unique way.

What inspires you in your current position/role?
Easy - the opportunity to improve people's lives. I worked in market research for a number of years where the goal way primarily helping a client sell more goods. That's not a bad thing, but wasn't particularly inspiring. Now I work directly with government agencies (such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Housing and Urban Development; United States Agency for International Development) helping them understand how people think about or behave with regards to critical issues. This information is then typically used to develop or refine policies aimed at helping people in need. That's rewarding!

Have you ever participated in an internship?
When I first went to college it was for a 2 year degree in Medical Technology, working in hospital labs. As a part of this program, I did several 8 week rotations in hospitals and health clinics, learning first-hand how these organizations operate and what my job in this area would entail. It was of tremendous value in helping me understand what I did -- and did not -- like about that profession.

What work experiences have been the most educational for you, and why?
Without a doubt it has been the "hands-on" experiences. As a graduate student, I was fortunate to have an assistantship in a survey research lab where opinion surveys are conducted. I was able to learn all aspects of the job by doing them - how to write a questionnaire; training interviewers; conducting interviews myself; learning statistical analyses; and how to write up and present results to clients. Those lessons I learned decades ago stay with me as I now lead people in all of these types of positions -- I have a better understanding about what they do day in day out and the challenges they face. It helps me be a better leader.

What project(s) are you currently working on?
While I lead a division of 120+ people who work across more than 100 projects at any given time, I personally keep my hand in researching how new data technologies and statistical approaches are effecting my field. I recently gave a key note address at an international science conference in Taipei, Taiwan on the topic of how data science techniques (artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, image recognition) can help us improve traditional survey research work.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I am obsessed with Halloween -- seriously. With three girls, I started decorating the yard with tombstones, webs, etc. Each year for more than 25 years I've added something new -- life sized ghosts, zombies, skeletons, etc. Now we have a yard full of creepy-crawlies .... yes we are "that" house in the neighborhood. But its great fun every Halloween when the kids come by amazed and want their pictures taken with our 8ft Sasquatch!

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
When in Taiwan I was awoken by a 6.0 earthquake at 5:30 in the morning! I have never been in an earthquake before and can say it was terrifying (lasted a good 15 seconds). I quickly got dressed, grabbed my wallet, passport, phone (and extra charger) and ran down the hotel steps -- all 15 floors! When I got to the lobby there was no one there but the desk attendant who asked: "Can I help you?" I said "What do we do -- that was a big earthquake!" She explained that they have those often and that the buildings are made to withstand the shaking -- STEM at work! I could, however, still go the rest of my life without going through another earthquake!

You won $10 million in the lotto. What would you do?
Retire from my current job and get involved full-time with helping to address the climate change issue globally. This is THE issue of not just our lifetime but will determine the future for generations to come all across the globe.

To learn more about Michael and his work, please check out the following:
Abt Associates Profile
LinkedIn
The Relevance of "Data Science" for Survey Research PowerPoint Presentation

There's only four days left to donate to help us meet our goal of raising $750 to build little free libraries. Just $210 to go! Make a difference in Prescott, AZ by giving today! 👍

Nominate us for the 2019 AZ Business Award - Nonprofit Organization Of the Year!

Nominees are considered based on how they support the community and give back through various means. All of this year’s finalists will be featured within the annual special edition of AZ Business Angels magazine. Learn more about our philanthropic projects here.

Please click the link HERE to submit your nomination today. The deadline for AZ Business Angels Awards is August 30, 2019. Thanks for your support

Did you see? G.E.M. Environmental was featured in Prescott Living Magazine (late summer 2019) issue! Be sure to check out the magazine and look for us on page 88.

We're also featured in this month's Prescott Woman Magazine (the education issue). Three of GEM's talented women were featured on page 64.

GEM is beyond thrilled to be able to spread the word about our programs and mission. We hope you enjoy these articles!

G.E.M. Environmental is excited to share another new addition to our monthly blog series - Science Stories. Each month, we interview a STEM scholar, student, or community member and ask them things like why they believe the STEM fields are important, how they got started in their field, to what they would do if they hit the jackpot. We hope that our new blog series will inspire, introduce a variety of fields, and create new conversations. 

Our guest this month is Eric M. Welsh, G.E.M. Environmental's very own Executive Director and Geologic Consultant. Eric was born and raised in Northern Arizona and has always been fascinated with the beauty and intrigue offered through National Forests and Public Lands. His interest in Geology grew after taking an introductory class at Yavapai College and he went on to enroll in the Geology Program at Northern Arizona University. Upon graduating, he formed a consulting agency and began working as a geologic consultant with individuals and small companies looking to claim mineral rights or expand operations on existing claims by completing basic survey, mapping, and safety assessments on a contractual basis.  After working with small miners in Nevada, he was hired as a liaison with the Bureau of Land Management in the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program in New Mexico to assist in their inventory and remediation project work as a geologic consultant. It is through this experience that Eric decided to change his consulting agency into a non-profit organization to benefit geoscience students who struggle finding jobs due to lack of experience or contacts within the industry.

Why do you believe that the STEM fields are important?
There are a number of viable reasons to support the advancement of students in STEM fields. I believe that we are in desperate need of educated individuals who have an understanding of the world and our environment. Much of our lives today are controlled through policy created by people with limited knowledge of the actual practices required to develop scientific theory. The future of humanity and this world rests in the hands of those that strive for greater understanding over political gain. Let's educate ourselves through adversity. Science is for everyone!

How and why did you get involved in the STEM fields?
I had a life altering event in my early twenties that derailed my then career path and caused me to start over. I re-enrolled in classes at Yavapai College with no real direction, just a desire to start taking classes to find a new path in life. I had never taken any college level sciences classes but had always been interested in trying something new. Biology was my first choice; however, it wasn't a good fit for my first science class so I dropped it and enrolled in what I thought was going to be an easy course, Geology 101. My whole life changed from there. I was fortunate enough to have an animated and inspiring professor that created in me a desire to learn more. I took every geology class that Yavapai College had to offer (there used to be a lot more) and then transferred to NAU where I earned a B.S. in Geology. Whenever I am asked how I got started on this career path, the first thing that always pops in my mind is the awe-inspiring professor that propelled my love for geology, Dr. Beth Boyd at Yavapai College. Educators really can make or break a student.

Can you describe another aspect of your life or career that is influenced or enriched by the STEM fields that people would find surprising?
GEM project work is just one piece of the puzzle in providing environmentally sound contracting on public lands. In providing our services to the Department of Interior I have had the chance to work with other similar organizations that provide scientific contract work to the government as a part of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) certifications necessary to provide Environmental Impact Statements required before an event or project on public lands. While working with these other organizations, I was able to meet some prominent scientists from other physical science fields who were just as passionate about their work as I was mine. It was through these interactions that I decided to not just service geoscience students, but to work to bridge the gap between many of the STEM fields and offer opportunities that transcend the normal paths of academic progression. It is our hope that we will have opportunities for students to work on and cross train through many of the physical science fields such as geology, biology, ecology, botany, anthropology, and engineering.

What inspires you in your current position/role?
I never thought that I would be in the position that I am in; having founded a scientific nonprofit with mid-scale government contracts that build and enrich the lives of fellow students through scholarship, educational programs, and vocational training.

I enjoy working out in the field on our contracts, so it is easy to say, "I love what I do," but what inspires me is the team I have built around me and the interactions I have with the students we are working so hard to benefit. There is no better indicator to tell us that we are on track than seeing a students eyes light up when they realize they are capable of so much more than they previously imagined.

Have you ever participated in an internship?
I believe that Internships are a vital part of the process in accumulating the experience necessary to developing a successful career. To those students who might be reading this i say, "Apply, Apply, Apply!!!" In today's competitive world, being turned down is not just a new experience. It is important to learn from those unsuccessful attempts and develop a new strategy to move forward, we must always be willing to work to better ourselves.

After submitting so many internship applications that I lost count, I was fortunate enough to land a four month position with the Bureau of Land Management through GeoCorps America in the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program. This position propelled my career and I still provide contract work to AML through GEM today. Immediately, I found interest in the position and took every opportunity I had to introduce myself to Agency representatives in other departments to network and expand my knowledge of their operations. I had never been a person to have industry connections at any level, so that was my first chance to meet people within industry and grow my network. I would say that the experiences I garnered during my internship are the reason why I am here today doing what I do. I hope to help students find similar opportunities and direction in academic and career planning.

What work experiences have been the most educational for you, and why?
The most educational experiences I have had so far have come from attending regional conferences (such as GSA or AGU). They are a great place for networking where one can learn about the research of and meet other industry professionals. If you have only been thinking of attending one, I suggest you find one in your field and book the tickets now. It doesn't matter how far along in your career you are, you will always learn something new.

What project(s) are you currently working on?
I am currently working on an inventory and mapping project called the Defense Related Uranium Mining (DRUM) program in conjunction with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Interior (DOI) to find the physical location of and record the physical characteristics of abandoned uranium mines throughout the state of New Mexico. Since the public has taken a great interest in the processes of uranium mining again, government agencies with surface management responsibilities have decided they needed to know where and how dangerous the abandoned uranium mines are on the parcels they administrate. Once we find the physical location of previously reported mine sites, we do a site survey and map the mines in order to report on the hazards and surface disturbances related to the workings. If mitigation is necessary, our reports are used along with site sample data to develop reclamation plans for site clean up to restore the land back to recreational standards. This is a multi stage project of which many agencies and contractors are involved over a several year process.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
It is usually surprising for people to learn that I held a pilot license and rating for rotary wing aircraft. Though I have let my certifications lapse, I may some day pick up where I left off and take back the skies.

You won $10 million in the lotto. What would you do?
If I won the lotto, a vast majority of the money would go to GEM to support our programs and procuring all the equipment necessary to adequately provide for new scientific contracts. Starting and maintaining this business as a debt free organization has been tough, but we will achieve our dreams one way or another and continue to grow. That doesn't mean that I am going to stop playing the lotto though, I can only imagine how much of an impact GEM would have if we had the funds to do what we want.

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If you're still curious about GEM and what we do check out our GEM for STEM program page.

Check back next month for more Science Stories. Want to be featured? Contact us.