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Hello all!My name is Allyson Young and I had the greatest pleasure to be the 2024 summer intern for Arundel Rivers Federation. I am from Pasadena, Maryland, and I am entering my junior year at the University of Maryland. I am studying Environmental Science and Policy with a concentration in Wildlife Ecology and Management!
I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be able to work for Arundel Rivers Federation. This organization opened my eyes to the beautiful world of water quality management and the different restoration and conservation practices that go into keeping our local waterways healthy! I never would have discovered my love for water monitoring and protection without this opportunity.
A major part of my summer was spent with SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation) collection and processing! This is an intricate process where the collected vegetation has to go through a turbulator to help release the seeds from the plant itself and then the collected material has to go through multiple other washing processes to get the purest form of seeds! We were lucky enough to get great help from our friends at AACC, Michael Norman and Tammy Domanski, and the Department of Natural Resources! This process happens in three-week intervals, once a month for three months that requires a lot of hard work. In the end, we collect hundreds of thousands of viable vegetation seeds that will be reintroduced into the environment in the fall to create more habitat and food than what is naturally being produced.
On top of being in the field and collecting data, I worked with a local summer camp, Camp Letts, to help inform the children about the importance of taking care of and maintaining the environment. It is important to start educating people about the environment at a young age because they will understand the impact that their actions have on the environment. I loved getting to experience this side of the environmental work because I am used to field work, so I was able to experience the effort that goes into educating others.
I want to reiterate how grateful I am for this opportunity and experience, and the knowledge that I gained from the Arundel Rivers crew will benefit me throughout my career. Charlotte, Elle, Jennifer, Lily, Mairin, Mallory, Matt, and Riley are the kindest people I have ever met, and anyone in their jurisdiction is lucky to have such caring people taking care of their waterways!
Allyson Young