Thank you, Delmer!

The Wolf River Conservancy would like to thank Delmer Rodriguez for his service as our Geographic Analyst Intern this spring. Over the past several months, Delmer has created maps showing protected lands and trends in development in the context of the watershed and Memphis Sand Aquifer’s recharge zone which he then integrated into an educational and interactive webtool.  This tool called a “Story Map” walks users through geospatial analysis Delmer performed to understand the impact of the Conservancy, linking our work to the health of the Wolf River and the Aquifer, and highlight opportunities for future research by the University of Memphis’s Department of Earth Sciences as well land protection by the Conservancy. You may have had the opportunity to talk with Delmer about this work if you volunteered with us during our Restoration Series where he was a tremendous help in organizing events and running projects.  The Conservancy looks forward to unveiling Delmer’s Story Map soon.

Reflecting on his time with us, Delmer said, “My time as an intern at the Wolf River Conservancy was a great experience! I was given the opportunity to work with an amazing group of people who are very passionate about taking care of the Wolf River and its watershed lands. It’s been a pleasure to be a part of the team and engage in land conservation processes and community organizing, with the goal of raising awareness on the importance of the watershed as a natural resource to the greater Memphis area. This was also a great learning experience as someone who grew up close to the river, and I’m happy I could add my grain of sand to this cause!”

Delmer is currently completing his PhD in Earth Sciences with a Concentration in Geography at the University of Memphis, where he uses Geospatial technology to study relationships between global climate trends and localized severe weather events. He completed a Master of Science program in the same field of study in 2023 after completing his undergraduate education in Mathematics. His educational trajectory was inspired by his love of severe storms, both understanding how they form and watching them as they unfold. We wish Delmer continued success in his studies and many dark clouds ahead, as long as they remain only literal and viewed from a safe distance.

‍