Mosquitos and ecology experiments
I learned a ton from the campers, the Cary scientists, my supervisor, and the mosquitoes I collected for the researchers!
Major: Architectural Studies and Environmental Studies
Concentration: Geoscience
Internship: Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY
The Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies is a leading independent environmental research organization in upstate New York, acclaimed for studies on acid rain, biodiversity loss, climate change, infectious diseases, invasive species, and much more. Cary strives to educate the public and involve the community through events, newsletters, summer camps, and teacher professional development.
Over the summer, I was the Education Intern at the institute. I began my summer by helping teach at Cary’s ecology day-camp, where we examined the critters in the steams and pond on Cary’s 2,000 acre campus. I also assisted at week long professional development sessions, where teachers of all disciplines and grade levels came to learn how to incorporate environmental education into their subject.
Throughout the summer, I created short tutorial videos on ecology experiments, accessible for teachers on the Cary website. My supervisor connected me with many of the scientists at Cary, including a Mount Holyoke alum, so I could assist in their field work and data entry. I learned a ton at my internship; from the campers, the Cary scientists, my supervisor, and even from the thousands of mosquitoes I collected for the researchers!