As the 2026 Spring semester at Stockton University neared its end, student Dylan Romeo took the initiative to continue his environmental science education outside of the classroom and directly into the field by applying for the Ocean County Soil District’s internship program. This internship program and volunteer opportunity is designed to allow students and those interested in environmental conservation to better understand the goals of the Ocean County Soil Conservation District and the the role that the District plays in Soil Erosion and Sediment Control.
Over the summer months, Dylan became a Technical Assistant for the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Program. The Technical Assistant position is akin to an entry level inspector position and is used to better understand the critical roles that the Ocean County Soil Conservation District’s inspectors must fill on a day-to-day basis. Responsibilities that this role entails include but is not limited to:
- Reading and interpreting construction plans.
- Onsite inspections of construction sites and stormwater basins.
- Become familiar with New Jersey’s Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Standards.
- Entering Hydraulic and Hydrologic (HxH) Data into a state-wide database developed by Rutgers. See our blog post for additional information.
- Hands-on experience with compliance practices.
Dylan makes note of his favorite experiences during the duration of the internship being his time spent in the field and on the many construction sites located within Ocean County. He mentions how surprised he was at the large amount of concurrent projects happing in Ocean County alone and how actively involved the Ocean County Soil Conservation District is with construction. “I never knew how soil erosion and sediment control is monitored and enforced during construction until I helped out during field work” he writes. Additionally, he shares his admiration for the inspectors he visited sites with and learned from during the course of his internship.
When asked if he was able to make connections between his classes at Stockton University and the tasks he was assigned at the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, Dylan made mention of his Watershed Hydrology course and related them to the stormwater management reports he would read while entering completed projects into the Rutgers Hydraulic and Hydrologic Database. He explained that he learned how to calculate curve numbers while in class, so to see them in a practical sense was interesting.
This internship opportunity also taught the Stockton Student important life skills that staff members of the Ocean County Soil Conservation District must employ on a daily basis. Time management and organization are both key attributes that lead to the success of the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control program as a whole. Dylan demonstrated these skills and more as he developed a comprehensive way to keep track of all of the projects that have data entered into the Rutgers HxH database. This now makes it more efficient for District staff to be able to find any file that has been previously stored away. These strengths will continue help Dylan with his future endeavors in life.
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District wishes Dylan all the best in his future endeavors and a big “Thank You” for everything accomplished during his time with the District. If you are interested in the Ocean County Soil Conservation District’s Internship or Volunteer Opportunities, visit our website for additional information on how to apply.