Roots Interns

I had same excellent experience overall from start to finish. Everyone was incredibly helpful and I learned valuable skills to take with me in my future endeavors. My main tasks were: Organizer student files and profiles, create fundraisers, review social media posts, research.

For context, I have traveled abroad to Mexico, Brazil, and the Caribbean. I am a generally agreeable person and am absolutely fine with hands-on, gritty experiences. But this experience was beyond disappointing. The actual value versus the cost is unforgivable. I received absolutely no guidance from my supervisor during my internship (which was an entire month). Never did they review the workplan with me or acknowledge that I was an “intern” rather than a volunteer– it seemed like there was no differentiation. The staff even asked me what my role was because they had no idea and clearly never reviewed my documents. The staff were also quite rude, and often gossiped about volunteers and made snide remarks in front of them. The “internship” was not at all about developing my skills. Instead, I learned from other volunteers whose only experience was starting a few days earlier than me. To say the facilities were “rustic” is generous; bedding was blood-stained and ripped. Despite working with animals, there was no soap in any of the bathrooms, and a volunteer contracted a parasite during my stay because of it. EcuaExplorer ignored my repeated messages for weeks, both before and during my trip. Many of the tasks are physical labor that have nothing to do with the animals, like moving sand. Though the experience itself is an amazing opportunity, and working with the animals is incredible, everything else about it is poorly organized. They are much more interested in making money off of their volunteers over investing in a worthwhile internship experience. I don't appreciate how Roots dismissed my concerns by telling me that EcuaExplorer was a “quality” placement when I reached out to them. Roots seems to have little communication with their internship placements. If you are really set on this place, I would advise you to book directly through their website rather than through a 3rd party. Not worth it.

I am very satisfied with this internship opportunity. During my time here, I was able to broaden my horizons and gain valuable knowledge about water-related issues and how they are addressed within the textile industry. I felt that my contributions were valued, as my ideas were consistently listened to and taken into consideration. I learned how to work effectively in a remote setting while balancing my studies and personal life, which has made me feel more prepared and confident to enter the workforce after graduation. Getting to collaborate with great colleagues and engage directly with experts in the water field, gave me deeper insights into the challenges and solutions surrounding water stewardship.