Welcome, Sydney: Our new summer intern!

VIEW is excited to welcome Sydney Watts as our summer intern. Hailing from Peoria, Illinois, Sydney now lives in Montana and is a junior at Montana State University, majoring in microbiology with a pre-veterinary track and a minor in military sciences. Since she was eight, Sydney has dreamt of becoming a wildlife veterinarian. She is involved in Army ROTC, the Country Dance Club, and works as a math tutor and tour guide. In her free time, Sydney enjoys skiing, hiking, and longboarding.

Sydney will contribute to several exciting new wildlife health projects in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and link the work she is doing in the GYE with projects in Rwanda. In addition to her work with VIEW, Sydney is interning at Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP), focusing on bat observation across Montana. In the photo below, she participated in FWP’s Animal Handling and Immobilization class, a comprehensive three-day course where she learned about various immobilization techniques and equipment. This training included the use of immobilizing drugs, darts, jab sticks, dart guns, and more. Sydney also had the opportunity to apply what she learned in practice by assisting in the relocation of three bears, where she was responsible for recording their vitals throughout the process.

Sydney's future career goals include serving in the U.S. Army as a veterinarian and eventually working in a wildlife rehabilitation center. We are excited to have Sydney work with us this summer and are eager to see the contributions she will make to our projects. Her enthusiasm and diverse skill set are invaluable, and we look forward to supporting her as she embarks on her professional journey.