Back in the world of real work...

Today starts week three of my internship and it has been tremendous fun so far. I have realized anew just how much I enjoy working on interesting problems and being able to conceptualize them systemically. To know that my work goes further than a professor's desk is invigorating.

I am in DC for another two weeks before taking off for Mozambique and Tanzania. So far it has been a roller coaster. My project is daunting to say the least, but the people I am working with and the atmosphere is fabulous. World Wildlife Fund is at a very interesting crossroads as they try to integrate the traditional conservation focus with the realization that large-scale impact must involve the private sector (agriculture). It means we have meetings where we get together and think up every possibility we can think of for putting together complex problems like rising input costs, rising food prices, climate change variability, development pressures and opportunities etc- and coming up with creative solutions involving all the stakeholders. I am having a wonderful time and can't wait to go to the field to test some of my ideas.

It is also a fun workplace. The kindergarten in the basement regularly has "biodiversity day" where they bring in various animals (tigers, bald eagle, lemur, python, sloth, etc) that the kids and adults get to hang out with and learn about. Below are two of my workmates with a sloth.