Zoey Feldman joined the Coalition as a Wildlife Data Intern through the University of Arizona’s RISE program for the Spring 2026 semester. While at the Coalition, she contributed to the 13-year report on the Oro Valley wildlife crossings monitoring project, helped with species identification and the organization of our wildlife camera photo database, and attended several of our outreach and partner project events. Thank you for your excellent work, Zoey!

---

Here are a few words from Zoey about her internship experience:

“I have been the Wildlife Data Intern since January and have gotten to work on a variety of projects centered around the Oro Valley wildlife crossing and data collection. I have gained identification skills of Sonoran Desert species such as coyotes, mule deer, antelope jackrabbits, and many more. Organizing and managing a large volume of data has taught me the importance of cleaning, processing, and time management. 

I translated the data to tell stories about our focal species, yearly trends, and species diversity. Technical documents like the Pima County report ensures that funding dedicated to wildlife crossings and restoration continues and illustrates the value of open, connected landscapes. Getting out into the community and spreading this knowledge has also been a huge part of this internship. 

Attending Fence Busters, tabling at the Desert Museum, working on a habitat restoration day, and touring the CAP canal were all ways to connect with our community and people that have similar goals. One of my favorite parts of my time here has been helping people learn about our environment, how we can further protect it, and what they can do to be involved. 

The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection has sparked my interest to pursue a career in county or state level government implementing conservation plans like our very own Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan here in Pima County!”