Intern Spotlight: Jillian Finucane

I've had the pleasure of working alongside a handful of superb collections volunteers and interns over the past several years. Each contribute invaluable insight and energy into the work we do at the Museum. This week, we'll learn a bit more about Summer Naturalist/Geologist Intern, Jillian. She is currently double majoring in Geological Engineering and Geoscience at University of Wisconsin - Madison and is eager to share her love for education with others.

In your own words, tell us about your work so far at the Museum and what you're excited about working with or learning in the collection. 

I moved up to Cable in early June to start my internship with the Museum, and I’ve been having an amazing time working with the staff and various programs. The opportunity to observe people of all ages interact with nature is a joy. In Little Naturalists, I see children explore the museum’s trails through hands-on exploration hikes. Our elementary-aged program, Junior Naturalists, allows kids to connect classroom ideas with outdoor experiences. My favorite programs are the Geology WALKS, where Kali and I take local families and visitors out for a hike, and get to share all of our rock facts as we walk through rich geologic history.

I am most excited about working with the skulls and furs from the museum’s collection. They provide such a great connection between the science of living specimens and the uniqueness of nature.

Can you describe a favorite museum specimen, display, or exhibit? It doesn’t have to be the from Cable Natural History Museum! 

My favorite exhibit is the Fluorescent Mineral dark room in the UW-Madison Geology Museum. After entering the room hidden behind a curtain, there is a beautiful display of dozens of rocks with different types of fluorescent minerals. A big red button activates a set of lights that flip through both shortwave and longwave ultraviolet light, activating the various glowing minerals. This is my favorite place to take a study break on campus and enjoy a little show of the natural world!

 

What are some of your hobbies/interests involving the natural world? What would you like to learn or what new skills would you like to develop? 

Most of my hobbies involve nature and being outside! I have recently gotten into outdoor rock climbing after several years of climbing indoors. The first rock wall I climbed is actually just east of Cable, at Bob Rock! Rock climbing connects me with more remote hiking trails and allows me to think about geology in a new and unique way. In addition to climbing, I love to hike and camp, and I find the outdoors to be a very relaxing reset after work or school. There is nothing like setting up your hammock and taking a nap.

My two newest interests are paddle boarding and fern identification. Paddle boarding, especially on particularly clear lakes, allows you to see into a whole new ecosystem just under the surface of the water. The fern identification is the skill I would like to develop. During Master Naturalist, Emily introduced me to a fern dichotomous key (a fern identification book), and now I’m convinced that I should carry one with me everywhere I go!

And of course, as a geologist, I have an ever growing rock collection, so I make a point to explore rocky beaches and geologic-rich parks.

 

What’s one thing you wish everyone knew at the Museum or our collection?

I wish everyone knew the variety of topics we cover at the museum! From geology (my personal favorite) to foraging, we offer programing covering all things natural! I am so pleasantly surprised at how much work goes into covering everyone’s interests.

As a geological engineering student at UW-Madison, a lot of my time is spent studying the mechanics of the nonliving – rocks, soil, and water. In just a few weeks, the museum has exposed me to more holistic knowledge of the Northwoods. I hope that a particular interest draws you in, but our sheer amount of information leaves you with a plethora of new fun facts.