Meet NSEA’s Spring 2021 Community Program Intern team! From left to right: Emma Burgess, Aja Irons, Allison Greener, Megan Fritz, Zara Wiley, and Olivia Marsh.
This spring, NSEA welcomes six new Community Program Interns! This position is part of our Future Leaders of Whatcom Waters (FLOW) Program which provides real-world experience and opportunities for professional development to gain skills for future career pathways. This team of interns will help facilitate NSEA’s Students for Salmon education field trips and lead volunteers in habitat restoration at community work parties through the Stream Stewards Program. Their work is critical to NSEA’s mission and our ongoing salmon recovery efforts.
Let’s meet the team!
Emma Burgess (she/her): Emma was born and raised in the Puget Sound area. She is a junior at Western Washington University studying Environmental Science with an emphasis in Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecology. After graduating, she plans to join the Peace Corps in South America as an Environmental Conservation Promoter. In her free time, you will find Emma in the mountains rock climbing, studying botany, and swimming in the rivers.
Megan Fritz (she/her): Megan is originally from Wayzata, Minnesota, but moved to Bellingham two years ago to attend school at Western Washington University. She is currently in her second year and plans to major in Environmental Studies at the College of the Environment. When not in class or working with NSEA, Megan enjoys writing music, film photography, and crocheting.
Allison Greener (she/her): Allison is an environmental science student at Western Washington University preparing to graduate this spring! Along with her internship with NSEA, she is also an intern for Learning Environment Action Discovery (LEAD), an environmental restoration and stewardship organization at Western. During her free time, she can be found reading, doing film photography, gardening, walking around Bellingham with her fiancé, or nerding out playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Aja Irons (she/her): Aja is an alumnus of Western Washington University and graduated in 2018 with a BA in music and a minor in Education and Social Justice. She is native to Washington and is a member of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby for the Tacoma Chapter. She loves exploring the outdoors and hiking with friends in her free time. Aja is excited to join this internship and learn more about salmon conservation and connect with the greater community.
Olivia Marsh (she/they): Olivia moved to Bellingham five years ago from Colorado to study at Western Washington University. Last year, they graduated with a degree in Environmental Science and a minor in English. In the future, she hopes to work on making environmental science more accessible to everyone. For fun, Olivia enjoys reading, hiking, trying new crafts, and practicing tarot.