News and Events
From wilderness guide to environmental specialist: How CEMML’s early-career program helped one intern find her path
After early job experiences as a wilderness guide and ski instructor, Ellery McCaw came into CEMML’s Early-Career Development Program expecting just a part-time internship. What she found was a platform to gain career insights and build on technical skills. She left the program confident that the critical administrative and procedural skills she acquired will help her advance her career ambitions.
March 13, 2026
Community partnerships drive conservation success at Bellows Air Force Station
For Emma Beard, a CEMML natural resource specialist based at Bellows Air Force Station in Hawai’i, the work is all about sustainability – ecologically, culturally, and operationally. To achieve that, it takes a whole community. Beard regularly brings together service members, educators, community leaders and volunteers all in the name of an island-wide conservation effort.
February 12, 2026
It started with a single map: How wetland delineation is becoming a pillar in CEMML’s $10M Air Force GIS program
It began as just another mapping project, albeit a challenging one, for CEMML’s GIS Team to map the boundaries of wetland areas at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida. Little did the team know that their efforts would result in the creation of a new model for wetland delineation across the military’s vast network of land.
February 10, 2026
From journalist to archaeologist: My journey as a cultural resources technician
After a seven-year career in journalism, Lucas Chapman was looking for a change. He completed a master’s degree in archaeology and was looking for a way to gain practical experience in his new career path. After coming across CEMML’s Early-Career Development Program, he found just the opportunity he was looking for.
February 5, 2026
An intertwined ecosystem: Species monitoring helps wildlife and the military mission
What does the behavior and health of a small, roundish mammal scampering through the sandy soil at Hill Air Force Base’s Utah Test and Training Range have to do with the military mission? More than you’d think. CEMML, in partnership with the base’s Natural Resources Program, is tracking the dark kangaroo mouse and several other species to better understand the health of the local ecosystem and inform military training operations.
December 9, 2025
Conserving reptiles — and training troops – in the Mojave Desert
The arid Mojave desert sprawls across roughly 50,000 square miles, mostly in southeast California and southern Nevada. Several rare species of wildlife live here, including the western pond turtle and the Mojave desert tortoise. These reptiles thrive in habitat free from development and human intrusion — and they find it on the Mojave’s vast military bases. CEMML, in partnership with the Air Force, is keeping a close eye on their behavior and numbers.
December 2, 2025
CEMML cultural resources team wins 2025 Secretary of the Army environmental award
CEMML professionals and U.S. Army staffers have worked together for several years to preserve archaeological and historical sites on bases located on the islands of Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu. Recently, their joint efforts earned them the Environmental Award for Cultural Resources Management, one of the Army’s highest honors for outstanding environmental stewardship and leadership.
October 27, 2025
From “shovel bum” to experienced archaeologist: A CEMML intern’s journey
For Michael D’Ottavio, the CEMML Early-Career Development Program gave him the perfect opportunity to deepen his interest in American military history. Through his job as a cultural resources technician on an Air Force base, he gained useful skills and hands-on experience. Now, he’s excited to continue his storytelling journey in archaeology.
September 24, 2025
From Myanmar to Florida: A global journey to a natural resources career
Originally from Myanmar, Soe Min Thu has long had an interest in the preservation of natural spaces. His pursuit of a career in natural resources management led him to CEMML’s Early-career Development Program and an internship as a vegetation technician at Florida’s Avon Park Air Force Range. That experience evolved into a permanent position with CEMML as part of Avon Park’s botany team.
August 6, 2025
Unearthing potential: Starting a career in archaeology with CEMML
For recent college graduate Harrison Wehmann, the detailed detective work of archaeology is exactly what he wants to be doing. After earning his bachelor’s degree with a double major in archaeology and history, and a master’s in underwater archaeology, he’s found the perfect opportunity through CEMML’s Early-career Development Program. Now, he’s building a career chasing history at Joint Base Langley-Eustis—and helping a military installation preserve its past.
July 6, 2025
CEMML Early-Career Program supports creek revitalization at McConnell Air Force Base
In June, CEMML Early-Career Development Program participant, Melina Takvorian supported a stream bank revetment project at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The work involved repurposing invasive red cedar trees to stabilize the McConnell Creek in an effort to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and protect critical infrastructure.
June 27, 2025
History in her hands: CEMML intern’s interests piqued at Avon Park Air Force Range
As a CEMML intern, Ellie Azulay focuses on documenting historic turpentine industry sites from the early 20th century on what’s now Avon Park Air Force Range. A recent graduate from Pennsylvania’s Bryn Mawr College with a degree in political science, Ellie’s getting hands-on experience in public history, while learning from experts in her field.
June 16, 2025