Mid and Southern Willamette Valley « OSU Extension Internship Program

Hello!

As summer comes to an end, I want to reflect on my experience testing well water for nitrate as part of the Groundwater Protection Program. When I started this internship, I knew it would be a great opportunity to engage with the public on critical water issues. I expected my main takeaway to be learning how to communicate scientific information to non-experts. While I gained plenty of experience in that area, I learned an even more valuable lesson: how to deliver bad news with empathy and optimism.

Colleen Lovdokken smiles with a nitrate test. Photo: Abby Thorsen

At nitrate testing clinics, I am not just sharing data; I’m communicating science that affects people’s health, family, finances, and quality of life. I learned to discuss difficult findings in a clear and evidence-based way while also acknowledging individual situations and struggles. This can be challenging, but is also immensely rewarding.

A collage of communication materials laid out on the table. Photo: Colleen Lovdokken

Mixed in with the hard conversations, I also witnessed the legacy of the Groundwater Protection Program. One person who had tested high for nitrate at a previous clinic came in this year with two new water samples. One was taken before filtration and one after. I tested the samples, and the difference was striking. The pre-filtered water still showed high nitrate levels while the filtered sample had no detectable nitrate. Because of our clinic, they learned about the issue, followed treatment recommendations, and now have safer water for themselves and their family.

Balancing the difficult news of high nitrate levels with the relief of a clean test result is hard, and I learned that the good and the bad often go together in community engagement. The lessons I took from this summer will stay with me throughout my future career. I am grateful to OSU Extension for creating space for me to grow into a more thoughtful, well-rounded science communicator.

Colleen Lovdokken

I am officially approaching the end of my internship, and as the summer starts to wind down, I would describe the experience as bittersweet. So far, I have worked at 17 events and conducted hundreds of nitrate screenings. My favorite part of these outreach events is getting to greet and interact with community members in each of the towns we visit. Every town and every person has a different relationship with their water, and getting to hear those stories has been one of my favorite parts of this internship.

Nakayda smiles with the purchased buckets for the creation of emergency kits. Photo: Colleen Lovdokken

This internship has also allowed me to go on side quests into other dimensions of Extension, such as health and small farms. One event that really left an impression on me was working at the Sweet Home Free Farm Stand. This event happens once a month, where the City of Sweet Home purchases food from local farmers and distributes fresh produce to residents for free.

Strawberries at a local Sweet Home farm stand. Photo: Nakayda Jacobs

I am passionate about food security, and this event showed me that it really is possible for communities to make a difference and take care of both their people and their local farmers. It made me feel more hopeful for the future, and it never fails to surprise me how there is a nonstop flow of people who show up for free and healthy produce.

OSU Extension has taught me the importance of looking at the bigger picture and meeting communities where they are. Whether I was testing someone’s well water, helping distribute emergency preparedness supplies, or handing out fresh produce, I was reminded that the work we do is ultimately about connecting people with the knowledge and resources they may need.

As I look toward the end of my internship, I am excited to take everything I have learned with me into whatever comes next. I am looking forward to continuing to grow as a communicator, working with communities, and finding ways to connect people with the natural resources that support them.

My internship with the Groundwater Protection Program has been nothing but a positive experience so far. I have enjoyed the opportunity to travel throughout Oregon, visit areas I had never been to before, and learn more about the different communities and demographics across the state. Each trip has given me a better understanding of how different communities experience and approach water-related issues.

Abby helping out at the OSU Extension booth at the Polk County Fair. Photo: Colleen Lovdokken

One thing I am especially looking forward to is continuing our interviews with people who participated in a septic system replacement grant program that my internship site has been involved with over the past few years. I am interested in hearing directly from participants about their experiences with the program and learning more about how these types of resources impact people in their communities.

One challenge I have encountered during my internship is interacting with community members who are hesitant to share details while testing their water. Sometimes there is a lack of trust, and people may worry that we are collecting information to report them or their property. Learning how to approach these conversations respectfully and explain our purpose has been an important part of my experience. It has taught me that building trust and making people feel comfortable is just as important as the information we are providing.

One of my biggest takeaways from this internship has been learning how to communicate effectively with members of the general public. Water quality can be a very personal issue, especially when it involves someone’s home, family or health. I have learned that it is important to listen to people’s concerns, meet them where they are, and explain information in a way that is understandable and useful to them.

This is a piece of knowledge I hope to carry with me throughout my future career. Being able to communicate with people from different backgrounds, build trust and make complicated information easier to understand will be an important skill.

– Abby Thorsen

Hello! My name is Colleen Lovdokken. I am double majoring in biology and Spanish at Oregon State University. I hope to work in community-based conservation for my future career. With OSU Extension, I work across the Willamette Valley and on the coast conducting nitrate screenings of well water and educating homeowners about their wells and septic systems. This summer, I am excited to experience farmers’ markets and community events while making a meaningful impact on people’s quality of life. I hope to grow in community engagement and education skills through interacting with individuals from various locations and backgrounds.

Interns, Colleen (right) and Abby (left) conduct a nitrate screening at the Brownsville Farmers’ Market. Photo: Melanie Reynolds

Nitrate test tubes at the Brownsville Farmers’ Market. Photo: Colleen Lovdokken

So far, I have attended the Millersburg and Brownsville Farmers’ Markets. For these markets, I was joined by one other intern as well as a representative from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Together, we completed 36 tests and talked to 66 community members about our educational materials and OSU Extension’s work.

In the office, I have also been developing bilingual educational materials for well owners. Getting to use my Spanish language skills while developing resources that make well water education more accessible has been invaluable.

One thing that stands out to me so far is the collaboration involved in every step of our work. Everyone has their individual strengths and getting to work together allows us to connect with community members and grow as a team. I can’t wait to see what this summer brings!

– Colleen Lovdokken

Hello! My name is Abby Thorsen, and I am entering my third year at Oregon State University. I am studying human development and family science. After finishing my undergrad, I plan to attend grad school to pursue a career in counseling or therapy. I have loved every part of my internship under the OSU Extension Service Groundwater Protection program in the mid and southern Willamette Valley so far. My favorite part of this internship has been speaking with community members about their water and health and helping them find resources they can utilize.

Extension has always been a huge part of my life, starting when I joined 4-H at nine years old and continuing until they gave me the boot after graduation. In high school, I was a member of multiple Extension Advisory boards in Polk County, where I learned about how Extension programs are run and funded on a deeper level. I am super excited to be involved with Extension again this year and give back to the program that has had such an impact on my life personally.

So far, I have learned an incredible amount about well water, groundwater and septic systems, and I have so much to learn still! Understanding the way these systems work together has also opened my eyes to how deeply our environment shapes daily living and health. As I keep learning, I’m excited to explore even more of the connections between environmental systems, public health and human services. It is meaningful to see how these areas overlap and I’m looking forward to continuing to build this understanding.

Given the numerous water screening clinics we host over the summer, I am also looking forward to traveling across the mid and southern Willamette Valley and seeing areas I have not spent much time in. I am excited to observe not only the environmental differences in this region, but also the varied community demographics. Having the chance to see these contrasts firsthand will help me better understand how environmental conditions and population characteristics intersect, and it will broaden and inform my perspective on the communities that we serve. This knowledge is something I plan to carry with me as I pursue my future career.

Hello everyone! My name is Nakayda Jacobs, and I am a senior at Oregon State University studying natural resources with a focus in agricultural and natural resources communications. This summer, I have the great pleasure of being part of the Groundwater Protection and Education team with OSU Extension in the mid and southern Willamette Valley.

OSU Extension intern, Nakayda Jacobs tabling at the Millersburg Farmers’ Market. Photo: Colleen Lovdokken

One thing to know about me is that I enjoy a little bit of everything and love working at the intersection of different disciplines. One of my favorite parts of this internship has been seeing how natural science and human health come together. I also enjoy working alongside a team of peers with diverse academic backgrounds, each bringing a unique perspective and expertise to the program. Every day has allowed me to learn something new, whether it’s about groundwater, public health or what community outreach really looks like.

As part of the groundwater team, I get to apply what I’ve learned in soil science and water resources to real-world issues involving private well water and septic systems. It’s been exciting to see how the concepts I’ve learned in the classroom directly translate into helping communities make informed decisions about their drinking water. Working for OSU Extension has been especially rewarding because it allows me to put my education into practice while continuing to learn through hands-on experience and community engagement.

One unexpected challenge has been learning how to communicate the bitter with the sweet. As someone passionate about science communication, it can be challenging when the information I share has the potential to affect someone’s daily life or livelihood. While I love spending time at community events and farmers’ markets talking with people about topics I’m passionate about, an important part of this work is helping people understand potential risks to their health and water quality. Those conversations require empathy, patience and the ability to explain technical information in a way that is both accurate and approachable.

Throughout this summer, I hope to continue developing my communication skills and become more confident in having meaningful conversations with a wide variety of audiences. I’m excited to keep learning from my team, strengthen my outreach experience and continue growing as both a natural resource professional and science communicator.

OSU Extension Internship Program

Category Archives: Mid and Southern Willamette Valley

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