Partnership Internship
With 3.4 million acres across six districts and more than 12 very distinct neighboring communities, the Bridger-Teton National Forest relies on interns to help with outreach, stewardship education, maintaining and fostering partnerships, and helping the public engage with and enjoy public lands. These 10-week summer internships are based in Pinedale, Wyoming. All university/college students and degrees welcome!
FBT’s first class of Partnership Interns came on board for the summer of 2025 and the program continued over the summer of 2026. Supported by the Wyoming Community Foundation, AllTrails, and White Pine Adventure Inn, the program allows college students to gain experience in working with a nonprofit and a diversity of stakeholders on behalf of public lands. FBT Partnership Manager Jennifer Ricupero says, “These internships provide valuable experience, education, and exposure for students, and also benefit the BTNF and communities around it by increasing capacity for, data collection about, and local/visitor contacts regarding responsible recreation.”
Interns help to build relationships between FBT and the communities and community members around the BNTF, set goals, manage project support, and implement events/boothing. The internships are based in Pinedale, but interns work across the BTNF’s six districts.
“My summer with FBT was one of the best summers I have ever had!” says 2026 Partnership Intern and University of Idaho, Boise, senior Parker Romero. “I learned so much about conservation, from grant writing to bird banding. My favorite part of the internship was the ability to create my own project and watch it come to fruition!”
Past Interns
Parker Romero—2026
Growing up in Boise, Parker Romero made frequent trips to the Bridger-Teton National Forest to ski—both in the backcountry and at the ski resorts on the forest—hike, backpack, and camp. The Idaho State University senior applied to be an intern with Friends of the Bridger-Teton because he loves the BTNF and wanted to learn about and to be a part of its stewardship. “I’m excited about the wide variety of community engagement and stewardship projects FBT is a part of,” says Parker, who is studying ecology and conservation.
Mady Fowler—2026
University of Wyoming senior Mady Fowler heard about Friends of Bridger-Teton’s internship through the 2025 interns, Lis Ressler and Kara Waskowiak. “They said it was fun and that they learned and did a lot,” Mady says. She is particularly drawn to the community aspect of FBT. “Being able to talk with local people about how they use the forest, their concerns for it, how they steward it, and what parts are important to them—I welcomed the chance to talk to different users and stakeholders,” she says.
Mady is studying Environmental Systems Science and Environment and Natural Resources and grew up in Casper. She started exploring and appreciating the outdoors and public lands when she was in high school. She and friends would go hiking and camping and sometimes visit Alcova Reservoir.
Kara Waskowiak and Lis Ressler—2025
Kara Waskowiak is from central Nebraska and studyied Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management and Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. She enjoyed the internship for the many opportunities it provided to collaborate with a diversity of BTNF users, community members, and organizations,” she says.
Lis Ressler is from the small western Pennsylvania town Armagh, and studied Environment and Natural Resources and Environmental System Sciences at the University of Wyoming (fall 2026 grad). She enjoyed the FBT Pertnership Internship because it allowed her to expand her horizons and learn about the Bridger-Teton National Forest.