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Major:  Golf Facilities and Turf Systems

Class:  Senior

 Place of Employment: The Legacy 
                                Courses at Craguns

Address:   11000 Cragun Dr.
                 Brainerd, MN  56714

Dates of Internship: May 8-August 25, 2000

Name of Supervisor:  Matt McKinnon

Phone Number:  (218) 825-8485

Job Title:  Golf Course Groundskeeper

Job Responsibilities:  Grounds maintenance of 27-hole golf course.  Mowing, fertilizing, spraying of fungicides and herbicides, irrigation, training new employees on equipment, etc. 

Summarize Your Experience:  Overall the experience was good.  I performed all the jobs that were expected of me.  I didn’t feel that there was much opportunity to learn new things because I was performing duties that were monotonous.  I don’t think the staff made a point to teach different aspects of the business to the interns.

What I liked about the job: 

Working in the outdoors at a beautiful golf course and taking satisfaction in a job well done.

What I disliked about the job:  Not being taught the things that I should have been.  Not much opportunity for learning.

http://www.craguns.com/

Major:  Golf Facilities and Turfgrass 
              Management

Class: Senior

Place of Employment:  The Legacy at 
                             Craguns Golf Course

Address:   11000 Craguns Drive
                  Brainerd, MN  56714

Dates of Internship: May 8 to August 25

Name of Supervisor: Matt McKinnon

Phone Number:  218-825-8485

Job Title:  Golf Course Groundskeeper

Job Responsibilities:  Grounds maintenance of a 27 hole golf course.  Job included mowing, fertilizing, spraying, topdressing and hole placement.

Summarize Your Experience:  When I started I knew pretty much everything that was to be expected except spraying and topdressing.  We were supposed to do more of the spraying and topdressing but we ended up doing everything else, like mowing and hand watering.

What I liked about the job:  Working at such an expensive golf course.

What I disliked about the job:  Everything had to be done a specific way, which left little room for personal  creativity or experimentation.

 http://www.craguns.com/

Major:  Natural Resources

Class:  Senior

Place of Employment:  Cass    
              County Land Department

Address:   P.O. Box 25
                Backus, MN  56435

Dates of Internship: May 8^th – August 24^th, 2000

Name of Supervisor:  Norm Moody

Phone Number:  (218) 947-3338

Job Title:  Natural Resources Specialist

Job Responsibilities:  I was given a wide variety of responsibilities during the course of the summer; a few of the things I tasks I undertook were running lines in blowdown from the July 4^th storm of 1999, forest inventory, plantation survival checks, prescribed burning, painting and cruising timber sales, GPSing coordinates, attending classes and workshops, etc.

Summarize Your Experience:  I had a wonderful experience working at the Cass County Land Department.  I was able to participate in and learn a great deal about many aspects of the field of natural resources.  The experience I was able to gain with this internship taught me much more than I could have ever learned in school. 

What I liked about the job:  I loved the variety of the work experiences that I was able to participate in and all the experience I gained.

What I disliked about the job: About the only thing I disliked were the rainy days!

Major:  Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Education

Class:   Senior 

Place of Employment:  3M Wonewok

Address:  Park Rapids, MN

Dates of Internship:  May 10th to August 17th 2000

Name of Supervisor:  Manager: Debra Aamodt
                                     Supervisor: Peter Dombrowsky
                              Trails Coordinator: Jeremy Bartosh Boathouse Coordinators: Shawn Downs and Paul
                                        Issacson
                              Fellow trails Itern: Maria Krueger

Job Title:  Trail Maintenance, Development and Guest Recreation Intern 

Job Responsibilities:  Develop and maintain the trails of Wonewok Conference Center, maintain trees and shrubs around the guest cottages and recreation buildings. 

Summarize Your Experience:  I had a very positive experience at Wonewok Conference Centre picking up valuable communication skills, technical skills as well tutorial skills.  Typical work schedule included a four day on, two day off type of work schedule.  This was to cater to wonewok`s visitor schedule.  They had would have a trip of a maximum number of 48 guests who consisted of internal 3M employees as well as company representatives who consume or sell 3M products.  The trips typically included a three-day, three-night stay.  Guests were treated to virtually unlimited resources available them at their fingertips.   

    The other facet of my job was guest interpretation and customer relations in Wonewok`s recreation department. The demand in the recreation department grew throughout the year as we lost a couple of workers in the recreation department which forced Maria and I to do three recreation days to one trail day.  My responsibilities in the recreation department included; assisting guests in the boathouse with whatever they needed such as; tackle, rods, life jackets, cushions and towels.  We also performed special functions such as, fish cleaning and bagging, advice for the lake and fishing tactics, and occasionally guided them on fishing excursions.  I also performed functions on Big Mantrap Lake such as; guiding pontoon tours and driving speedboat for water sports.  I have to add that we have to maintain the water equipment for both the Mantrap Lake equipment and the Petite Lake (trout pond) row- boats.  Other duties that have to be performed on Petite Lake, is picking golf balls every once in a while for recreation staff.  Yes, guests hit floating golf balls off of a driving platform in which there are yard buoys to tell them how far they are driving them. 

    Other recreation duties I perform away from the boathouse are running the trap shoot range that Wonewok has.  Leading guided trail walks and Itasca State Park Trips and just plain being a source of information for the guests at Wonewok.  

What I liked about the job: Being able work with guests and other workers day in and day out at a first class facility such as Wonewok.  It makes going to work a fun and challenging experience.  I really enjoyed my interpretative work with guests in the recreation department, guest were mostly appreciative of your efforts, which ultimately made you feel good inside.  

What I disliked about the job:  The only low points of the internship that I can think of is the war that was waged over cut work hours that were imposed on the temporaries by Wonewok which was directed to by the St. Paul headquarters, however the problem was resolved for Maria and I after we lost a couple of recreation employees which actually left us a little shorthanded in the recreation department.  I also would like to add that we lacked at times the modern equipment we needed to do a project efficiently at times when it came to developing or maintaining the trail systems. 

Comments:  On a scale of 1-10, Wonewok is a 10.  Wonewok is a branch of a prestigious company in 3M.  Wonewok has 1st class facilities in which to work as well a hospitable staff of employees lead by quality supervisors and organized by a their very own manager.  You are continually surrounded by leaders and winners, whether it be a guest or a co-worker. 

Chad Larson