When Cameron Berthiaume ’23, Eagan, was looking for a summer internship, they really didn’t have too far to look. They found it at the UMN West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC), just across Highway 59 from the UMN Morris campus.
Berthiaume is passionate about environmental policies and programs and was looking for something that aligned with those interests. The WCROC project was to design a self-guided trail through the WCROC grounds to highlight the various renewable energy research projects being conducted there.
“The goal of the trail is to engage and educate the public about renewable energy systems and showcase how WCROC research on farm energy use can benefit agriculture,” Berthiaume said.
So, their first task was to learn about all of the renewable energy projects.
The list includes solar agrivoltaic panels, solar thermal panels, energy efficiency projects in the swine and dairy barns, the ammonia and hydrogen production plant, and the wind turbine.
“I got to talk with many different people at WCROC, and they have a lot going on! I also learned a lot.” For instance, before working on this project, “I knew about solar photovoltaic panels, but I didn’t know about solar thermal panels.”
In addition to collecting details about the renewable energy projects, Berthiaume also had to research materials for the signs, sign placement, and accessibility for the trail.
Ultimately, the trail project boiled down to research and communication, which Berthiaume really enjoyed. That research went beyond the contents of the sign to include what kind of signs would work best, where they should be placed, several accessibility issues, and, finally, how to succinctly and accurately describe the research.
Construction of the trail is expected to be completed during the summer. Funding for the interpretive signage and pathway construction is supported by the sale of excess electricity produced by the wind turbine.
The trail will begin at the administration building, go across the road to the swine barns and all the way to the wind turbine. This meant Berthiaume spent a good portion of their day outside, and they discovered the view from the WCROC administration parking lot was amazing. “You look out over the gentle hills in the Pomme de Terre River Valley, you can see the solar panels and the cows grazing, maybe a few birds. It’s nice.”
Having grown up in a Twin Cities suburb, Berthiaume never imagined working in an agricultural setting. The only agriculture in their background was an animal science class in high school. But they really felt drawn to the project because of their passion for sustainability.
Berthiaume had initially planned to major in political science, but by their second year on campus, had switched to an environmental studies major, with a political science minor.
“Lucky for me, UMN Morris has great connections in sustainability work.”
Sustainability is in large part why Berthiaume chose UMN Morris. “The small classes and opportunities to work closely with faculty were solid factors in my decision to attend Morris. But the campus reputation for sustainability was what really made it the place for me.”
After receiving an email list of potential internships, Berthiaume thought this project would be a good fit – they could apply information from their courses outside the classroom, and they could literally work outside of a classroom.
Berthiaume admitted that they had never been to WCROC before but felt the three-month internship offered exactly the kind of experience they were hoping to have. As a bonus, it was so close they could ride a bike to work nearly every day.
Berthiaume is hoping to work with an environmental nonprofit after graduation, something that would combine both sustainability and politics. “Environmental studies is relevant. It puts you in a place where you can start to see how to have an impact.”