A Little Introduction
Hello, my name is Tinker Granzin. I’m a recent graduate from Angelo State University, our local college here in San Angelo. I have a bachelor’s in biology and have currently re-enrolled for a bachelor’s in business. To me, biology isn’t a job-- it’s something I’m passionate about; being able to learn, have hands-on experience, explore, and teach others what I know are things that I enjoy. I’ve been surrounded by nature and those who share my passion for nature my entire life and through one of my professors, Dr. Dixon at ASU, I was informed about the UCRA Environmental Internship Program.

Applying for the Program
The application process for the UCRA Internship Program was straightforward and the internship coordinator, Lexi Woods, is an amazing person to meet. She’s incredibly friendly, easy to talk to, and has a lot of knowledge to share. While I had been on trips with my biology classes and done field work, this was a different experience and one I didn’t have a lot of prior knowledge in. It is also what drove me towards the program, the ability to gain knowledge in a field of biology I hadn’t been able to experience and a teacher who was eager to teach as much as she could. I met with Lexi in November of 2023 and applied shortly after; when June of 2024 came around, I got the call that I had been accepted into the program.
The Internship
As an environmental intern with the UCRA you get to learn and do a lot. Monitoring the water quality along the Upper Colorado River Basin in the field with the CRP crew is the biggest portion of what we do. Our days are spent driving from site to site, taking in the scenery, recording measurements and collecting samples, running across a water moccasin or two, catching frogs, and if conversation allows, Lexi and I weirding Scott (the General Manager of UCRA) out with random biology facts.

Along with water quality monitoring, we get to perform our own research and write a report on our findings. I performed algae monitoring in the Upper Colorado River to determine how it’s affected by rainfall and in turn its effect on river flow. I was able to record percent cover readings out in the field, type of algae present, river flow, a visual interpretation of river qualities, and compare them to data collected in previous years by the UCRA. This allowed me to get in-field data collection and research experience, build a report connecting my data and turn it into something that Lexi and I could go over, which also helped to improve my writing skills.
"Gaining relevant work experience is an essential part of your college education and becoming marketable before graduation"
Angelo State University - Internships
My final mission with the UCRA as an Environmental Intern was ALM (Aquatic Life Monitoring): two days of sweat, murky water, wet-wading, and aquatic critters… but I loved it! Besides me and Lexi, we were joined by Stephen, Thea, and Zoe from the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) our Austin partners. Incredibly smart people and a lot of fun to be around. During these two days, we recorded fish and bug identifications along with habitat identification and descriptions. By the end of ALM, I had learned about different fish in the Colorado River and could identify a few, how to describe different habitats and their characteristics, and while I still don’t like messing with bugs, I had gotten over my aversion a little. I was a little sad when it ended, I not only had to say goodbye to people I enjoyed spending time with, but it also meant my time with the UCRA was coming to an end.
Overview
I didn’t want my time with the UCRA to end. I had been able to learn, see, and experience so much. Lexi, Ellen, and Scott had become good friends and I would miss seeing them every week. These past two months I had been challenged to adapt to new and changing environments, been able to learn hands-on in the field, improve my research skills and better understand how I can improve my report writing. I also got to see specimens in the field and understand how they interact and affect their environment. I believe I’ve grown as a biologist.

This internship has been an amazing experience and one I am incredibly grateful for. From the long drives and hot days, to the bruises and critters, there isn’t anything I would change… maybe the spiders if I could. The UCRA crew has my biggest "thank you" for the time and knowledge they have shared with me, and I would be more than happy to come back.
The More You Know