Intern Spotlight: Elliot Witscher

I've had the pleasure of working alongside many superb collections volunteers over the past seven years at the Museum. Each contribute invaluable insight and energy into our work. This week, we'll learn a bit more about our newly-arrived Summer Naturalist Intern, Elliot Witscher. They just graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a bachelor's degree in geology and love spending time outdoors!

In your own words, tell us about your role at CNHM, any past museum experiences, and what you’re excited about working with or learning in the collection.  

I am one of the two Summer Naturalist Interns for 2024, which means I get to dip my toes in a whole bunch of areas of the Museum! I will be running Jr. Naturalists with Sarah, the other intern this summer, as well as helping with various programs and events hosted by CNHM, making posts for our Instagram and Facebook accounts, and getting to learn more about how a natural history museum works behind the scenes. I volunteered at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for the past two years working with visitors and teaching about rocks, minerals, and fossils. I had a great time, and it really is what inspired me to want to spend the summer here in Cable! 

Can you describe a favorite museum specimen, display, or exhibit? It doesn’t have to be from CNHM!

I LOVE the Dunkleosteus fossils at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Dunkleosteus was a large, bony fish that lived during the Ordovician Era and is found in the fossil record of Cleveland and NE Ohio in general. One of my favorite facts about Dunkleosteus is that they didn’t have teeth, just the two sharpened bones in their jaws that they would use to slice their prey into pieces. Their jaws were incredibly powerful, exerting 1,200 pounds of force with every bite, which is stronger than modern sharks! I think that they are incredibly cool creatures and it was really fun to get to see the collection in Cleveland. 

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

I really enjoy spending time outside hiking, camping, and swimming in any possible body of water. I also love setting up a hammock and enjoying a good book, although the Wisconsin mosquitoes make that a bit of a challenge. One of my goals for the summer is to get better at plant identification! I think that plants are so cool and I love being able to identify them but it’s a skill that I haven’t really had the time to develop in the past. I am hoping that partaking in the Wisconsin Master Naturalist program and spending some quality time outside with a plant guide will help me on my journey! 

One topic that visitors should bring up to spur a lengthy conversation with you?

I majored in geology in college, so it is probably not a surprise to anybody that asking me a question about rocks, minerals, or the Earth will get a much longer response than they expected!