The Welcome Center Landau had set a competition for the best depiction of experiences in the working world during the internship which is part of the master’s program in Ecotoxicology. The decision was not an easy one since all contributions included vivid descriptions and great photos of the internships. However, now the winners have been announced.

1st Place: Ms Vivian Oloton

Vivian spend her internship at TTZ in Bremerhaven (Germany). According to her, the experience has been challenging, highly studious, and very informative. The combination of broadened horizons, an improvement of skills and being responsibly accountable and highly independent – all set in a friendly atmosphere with nice colleagues – have let her to the following conclusion: “This experience was SIMPLY AMAZING”.

In the picture, Vivian is conducting the pH analysis for a biochar mix and some other substrate types.

2nd Place: Mr Afolarin Ogungbemi

Fola worked at Mitox Field Operations in Fources (France). In the photo you see that he was for example using the D-vac suction machine to sample small soil and weed dwelling insects. He wrote that “it was fascinating to learn that as small as these insects are, they play a vital role in the terrestrial ecosystem.” However, he also saw how affected and harmed these insects are by drifting of agricultural pesticides.

3rd Place: Ms Lisandra de Castro Alves

Lisandra stayed at the Biology Faculty of the University of Santiago de Compostela in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). She, too, learnt a lot – for example about the moss usage for the biomotoring of heavy metals in rivers. As she said: “I never thought that this small plant had so many properties and is of such importance to the environment for quality control.” In the photo you see her working on an experiment – together with her supervisor and a technician – putting moss bags on the river.

All of these descriptions underline how important practical experiences are during your Ecotoxicology studies and how much students can gain from an internship.
We are very happy that they have shared their experiences with us!

Congratulations again our winners!