Meet Alicia Bedolla, a senior environmental studies major at PUC, and has worked at International Bird Rescue in Fairfield, Calif., for her internship during the last two quarters.

Tell us about your internship.

For my internship I worked at a bird center rehabilitating injured and sick waterfowl and pelagic birds. We performed regular examinations for each bird “patient,” administered medications, and did common chores to keep the facility up and running. On a daily basis, we would also have to clean a variety of fish to feed the birds.

What did you learn during your internship?

While working at International Bird Rescue, I learned so much about pelagic birds by having hands-on experience. I learned how to properly handle birds for examinations and about different illnesses/conditions certain birds are more prone to. I also learned about specific fish each bird preferred. From this experience, I learned proper techniques of administering medications and also how to hand feed sick birds.

How did PUC help prepare you for this experience?

Prior to this internship, I took courses such as Vertebrate Biology, Ecology, and Marine Science, which provided me with background knowledge on common pelagic birds and waterfowl.

To learn more about biology at PUC, visit the department of biology website.