Our interns are joining us for the Spring 2024 semester to help with wildlife camera database management, and more. Welcome to the team!

Lilly Elena Esperanza Ramirez, Spring 2024 Desert Wildlife Intern

Growing up working the land of the Chihuahuan desert I grew a respect and love for the land that influenced my career interest as I grew older. Before college, I never knew I could make a career by protecting the land I grew up harvesting and managing. During my time at the University of Arizona, I have had the wonderful opportunity to work and travel with the USDA as an ecohydrology intern sampling BLM land throughout southern Utah, Northern Arizona, and Western New Mexico. During my time with the USDA, I learned how important it is to educate communities about their impact on the surrounding wildlife. When I discovered the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, I knew I had to be a part of their amazing mission. While I am working for the Coalition, I hope to build connections with people who believe in the protection of our ecosystems and to learn lots of new skills or build on old ones. As I finish my B.S. in Biology, I am building many skills needed to be a part of organizations such as the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection and help educate our communities and government organizations about proactive methods for protecting our environments. After graduation, I hope to be at the forefront of the implementation of environmental protection practices in urban development companies. 

When I am not in class you can find me hiking one of the many trails around Tucson or trying out new recipes using produce from one of the many farmers markets in Tucson. I live with my Pitbull Max and his three other moms, who are also my best friends. When Max and I are not on an adventure somewhere we love spending time with our best friends playing board games and binge-watching movies.

Woods Nystedt, Spring 2024 Desert Wildlife Intern

I am a student at the University of Arizona studying Natural Resources with an emphasis in Wildlife Conservation and Management. While my career interests are still somewhat broad, I am passionate about the protection and conservation of ecosystems and native species. In my career so far, I’ve been lucky to contribute to collecting data for water rights of the Verde River watershed, investigating native and invasive turtle and toad species on the Santa Cruz River, and collecting data on the Chinook salmon on the Yukon River in Alaska. I am excited to broaden my horizons through my work with the CSDP. I love getting to live and work in Tucson and am looking forward to travelling and doing work across the country after I graduate. I am minoring in film and television and enjoy integrating my love for nature and wildlife into my artistic endeavors.