City Intern Celebrates Accomplishments
By Christopher Miller
Some people take a vacation over the summer. Others learn a new skill or spend time perfecting a hobby. For Lock Haven University Senior Tim Brazell summer was spent learning and working as a Summer Intern with the City of Lock Haven Parks and Recreation Department.
Working additionally with Community Life Director Kasey Campbell and Lock Haven City Planner Abbey Roberts, Tim focused on a great deal of initiatives and projects with the city during his internship.
“I was involved with writing grants, making applications to PennDOT for road closures, volunteering at the summer concerts, cleaning the streets and networking at Partnership Time Out Events,” explained Tim in an interview with The Record.
One of the major projects that was overseen and implemented by Intern Tim with help from the City Public Works crew was a pollinator garden that replaced the once-weeded and overgrown triangle located at the 3 points intersection of West Water, West Main and 6th Streets near the university.
“A pollinator garden helps bring native species of plants back to the area,” Tim explained. “We are helping them help us.”
One of the main problems faced recently in the world is the declining population of Monarch Butterflies which the garden aims to help reincarnate with the installation of butterfly-loving plants, such as Lupine. “I am trying to get the garden certified for wildlife by installing rock piles for small animals, like baby bunnies, to find shelter from the weather,” said Tim.
This garden is not only for bees and butterflies, but birds and other insects will benefit from it as well. “It is pretty to look at, and not an eyesore anymore,” Tim said.
Reclamation of the area included removal of the old soil, soil testing for proper pH levels and possible additions of things such as Lyme, Phosphorus, or Nitrogen to encourage plant growth, and the addition of new topsoil and a weed blocker.
“The plants are native, organic, pesticide-free, and pollinator-friendly,” Tim explained.
Some may also recognize Tim as the now-famous Junior Ranger Tim in the weekly Ranger Round-Up videos produced by Community Life Director Kasey Campbell. Other occasional special guests on the weekly program have included City Planner Abbey Roberts, City Manager Greg Wilson, and many others as they tour local facilities, educate, and inform the public on Lock Haven “behind the scenes,” if you will.
“The video series started last summer due to the pandemic to reach kids and give them ideas of things to do, due to the absence of a summer recreation program,” said Tim. “The videos gave me some things to cover and teach the community youth like touring different places around town and including guest appearances.”
Tim, the university senior, is majoring in Recreation Management and is set to graduate this December. In the future, he wishes to relocate and work in the parks and recreation field. “It would be awesome to be a ranger and maybe work in a national or state park,” he said.
“I definitely recommend interning with the City of Lock Haven and learning about the community, events, and networking,” Tim said, very happily.
City Planner Abbey Roberts included the following comment on Tim’s achievements during his internship with the city:
“We spent a great summer with him [Tim] and he was certainly a huge help in many projects, including Ranger Round-up. He was even able to complete his special project for the semester as required for his internship through LHU.”
“We are always interested in having interns join us at the City! We have worked with CareerLink and LHU in the recent past to get some interns on board. This fall, the Planning Department will be working with a student from IUP interested in the planning field. Having an internship can help students and young adults expand their learning and find something they are passionate about. If anyone is interested in an internship or job shadowing opportunity, they can reach out to me and I can point them to the right department.”
Well, Community Life Director Kasey Campbell added the following:
“Tim was a huge asset this summer, helping with various summer programs like the Concert Series, the weekly Market on Main Street (Farmer’s Market), and he stole the show every week in Ranger Round-Up. Tim also was able to work together with our Public Works crew on creating a pollinator garden at the small triangle at the intersection of West Main Street and Water Street, which beautifies the area while helping provide plants to feed, shelter, and sustain pollinators that are crucial to the sustainability of the local ecosystem. Tim brought a fresh perspective to the City, particularly the Department of Community Life, and his passion for sustainable living was evident throughout all his work this summer, especially in his research for many of the Ranger videos.”
“Like Abbey said, interns are always welcome! If anyone is interested in interning with us at the city they can contact me or Abbey and we can find the right department for them.”
