Fellows - Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River

Fellows

The inaugural Delaware River Fellows program began in 2017, where each center in the Alliance for Watershed Education hosted a Fellow for twelve weeks during the summer. This year, the program has doubled in size, with most Centers hosting two Fellows! The program aims to increase engagement and action toward protecting and restoring the Delaware River Watershed. Fellowship activities vary, but some involve leading guided trail hikes, working on a riverfront dock, and biking with a “Mobile Nature Center” to engage with visitors to environmental centers. Fellowships culminate in a Capstone Summit where each Fellow presents his or her research, findings, and experiences.

See our highly accomplished Fellows from past summers below:

Class of

Fellows

Aionna Williams

Aionna Williams

Aionna loves the feeling and sound of the sand and water at the beach, and is excited to raise awareness on the Wilmington waterfront!

Alex Levy

Alex Levy

Alex was introduced to his Center via a bike ride along the Schuylkill River Trail– you never know where a ride #OnTheCircuit will lead!

Alexa Messick

Alexa Messick

Alexa Messick enjoyed being outdoors as a child, especially when she could drive herself to Bombay Hook. Her passion for sharing nature appreciation will help her develop outreach strategies at The Nature Conservancy and First State National Historical Park.

Ali Kloiber

Ali Kloiber

Ali grew up spending lots of time in the woods, and will be using her experience to teach others about their environment.

Allison Harten

Allison Harten

Allison looks forward to working with the Wilmington Trail Ambassadors at DEEC this summer.

Amanda Buchner

Amanda Buchner

Amanda grew up visiting the ocean and exploring her local parks, and is excited to build one-on-one relationships with the members of her community this summer.

Amani Reid

Amani Reid

Amani used to attend camp in Delaware where she was exposed to nature. Her favorite place in nature is the Kakum National Park in Ghana.

Amberly Choi

Amberly Choi

Amberly is happy to be part of the HC team, especially on environmental issues that are so much bigger than any one person.

Amy King

Amy King

Amy loves the secluded environment at PEEC and is excited to have Nature as her office this summer!

Anaïs Martinez

Anaïs Martinez

Anaïs Martinez spent time hiking and visiting rivers, beaches and parks in her native Puerto Rico. She is confident that her communication skills will help determine why people don’t visit parks and how to change that.

Andrew Atkerson

Andrew Atkerson

Andrew grew up visiting Valley Green park, and recommends spending time fishing and feeding the local ducks!

Annalisa Shanks

Annalisa Shanks

Annalisa is spending her summer working with children, to teach them more about the environment, wildlife, and their vulnerabilities.

Ben Vlam

Ben Vlam

Ben has always been exploring the outdoors, and now he wants to take this opportunity to teach his local community about their own watershed.

Brooklyn Clayton

Brooklyn Clayton

Brooklyn Clayton

Brooklyn Clayton

Caitlyn Coffin

Caitlyn Coffin

Caitlyn grew up near parks and nature centers, and enjoys kayaking. She hopes to learn how to be a successful environmental educator.

Camille Kaufmann

Camille Kaufmann

Camille got the chance to explore the outdoors with her father, and hopes to spark community interest in the watershed.

Cedric Lary

Cedric Lary

Cedric Lary attended outdoor summer camps growing up in Ewing and became interested in nature as a volunteer at Baldpate Mountain. He plans to become an astrobiology professor.

Charlye Stewart

Charlye Stewart

Charlye wants to improve wildlife’s interaction in urban areas, such as through land bridges & living buildings.

Chloe Wang

Chloe Wang

Chloe grew up on the Hudson River, with access to the water, and lots of outdoor space! She will be working with volunteers this summer to start a new civic science water quality monitoring program

Christina Maldonado

Christina Maldonado

Christina did not have the chance to explore the outdoors much as a child, but is making up for it now. She loves hiking, and will be learning conservation skills to preserve the outdoors for future generations.

Claire Klaus

Claire Klaus

Claire is excited to continue teaching young children about water management, and educate people of all ages about their impact on the Earth.

Courtney Kovacs

Courtney Kovacs

Courtney Kovacs visited playgrounds and parks as a child, but she is excited to become more “outdoorsy” through this fellowship. She hopes to eventually visit all the centers in the Alliance.

Daisy De Paz

Daisy De Paz

Daisy is returning to the fellowship for a second summer! She kicked off the Center’s “Water Cycle” and is looking forward to reaching more people this summer. 

Dakin Hewlett

Dakin Hewlett

Dakin Hewlett gained an appreciation for nature while hiking part of the Appalachian Trail; her English degree will help her engage audiences on the Riverfront in Wilmington.

Darien Rivera

Darien Rivera

Darien grew up playing in his local parks, but he also enjoys swimming, and his favorite place is Niagara Falls!

Devon Mahallati

Devon Mahallati

Devon Mahallati grew up hiking and biking in the Pinelands. She plans to improve access from the Schuylkill River Trail and believes her canvassing background will help her engage with trail users.

Donovan Roman

Donovan Roman

While Donovan’s favorite spot in nature is the deserts of New Mexico, his favorite activity around his hometown is kayaking.

Drew Atkerson

Drew Atkerson

Drew grew up visiting Valley Green Park, and recommends spending time fishing and feeding the local ducks!

Dylan Lewis

Dylan Lewis

Dylan is a Pennsylvania native, and wants to use this summer as an opportunity to teach others about the nature around them- even in their own backyards!

Elizet Moralez-Perez

Elizet Moralez-Perez

Elizet Moralez-Perez was not strongly connected to nature during her childhood in the Trenton area, but her continual desire to learn will help her identify plants and birds on the trails as she leads guided hikes.

Emily Dallas

Emily Dallas

 Emily grew up visiting lots of state parks with her family, and her favorite outdoor activity is white water rafting! She is very excited to learn more about the geography of the watershed. 

Emma Tardiff

Emma Tardiff

Emma spent her summers in northern Michigan, but her favorite place is the Galapagos Islands! She is pursuing her masters degree in Environmental Studies! 

Enola Hihi

Enola Hihi

Enola spent lots of time camping and exploring her local parks, and participating in tree planting days within her community.

Erin Moran

Erin Moran

Erin had access to trails behind her house, and combined with her fellowship, has learned to identify local animals, plants and trees in nearby forests.

Esmeralda Peña

Esmeralda Peña

Esmeralda is new to all the work being done to protect parks in Camden, but she is excited to be involved in these efforts!

Geré Johnson

Geré Johnson

Geré was in a science program in high school, and got to spend a lot of time outdoors. Now, she is hoping to encourage others to do the same! 

Gere Johnson

Gere Johnson

Gere is a 2018 Fellow at a different Center this summer; she is excited to continue working toward her goal of visiting all 23 Centers in the Alliance!

Gio Rivera

Gio Rivera

Gio loves getting outside to explore his local parks, and is looking forward to reaching out to his community through social media.

Gisella Dukes

Gisella Dukes

Grace Haumerson

Grace Haumerson

Grace loves sitting on the beach at dusk and listening to the sound of the waves. She wants to learn how to speak to the community more efficiently.

Ivana Quinones

Ivana Quinones

Ivana hopes to pursue a marine biology career, either researching sharks and rays or as the director of a marine biology outreach education program.

Izelliah Nelson

Izelliah Nelson

Izelliah grew up playing outside, and is looking forward to gaining communication and leadership skills through her fellowship!

Jack Braunstein

Jack Braunstein

Jack Braunstein grew up walking his dogs along the Cooper River, and is interested in researching community engagement in the watershed. His analytical skills will help him determine barriers to accessing nature in Camden County.

Jack Ewart

Jack Ewart

Jack did not spend much time outdoors as a child, and is making up for it now! He will be helping to teach the public about the watershed and it’s importance.

Jane Eisenhardt

Jane Eisenhardt

Her favorite activity is farming, but her favorite place outdoors are the cliffs and beaches of Cape Peninsula, South Africa!

Janniry Cabrera-Belen

Janniry Cabrera-Belen

Jared Austerlitz

Jared Austerlitz

Jared spent time as a child and a teen hiking near his home, and is looking forward to getting others excited about the outdoors.

Jess Kraus

Jess Kraus

Jess Kraus fished, hiked and visited parks as a child. She is excited to work with the Heritage Conservancy to connect people with nature, and plans to pursue a career in environmental law or land conservation management.

Jessica Lugo

Jessica Lugo

Jessica is really excited to see what her co-Fellows’ Capstone projects will be, and she is ready to learn more about the watershed!

Joanne Douglas

Joanne Douglas

Joanne Douglas considers herself a city girl who always seeks out an oasis in the natural world. She is excited to engage student interns in learning about and appreciating the waterways, and exhibiting their work in a creative way.

Jordan Hines

Jordan Hines

Jordan is a returning fellow from 2017! Following his goals from last year, Jordan is hoping to master public speaking and community outreach during this summer.

Jose Reyes

Jose Reyes

Jose got to learn about the parks near him while in high school. He wants to gain confidence in leading nature walk and teaching classes.

Joshua Pringle

Joshua Pringle

Joshua Pringle data analysis background will help him support environmental education programs & interactive teaching methods at this education outreach center for the Philadelphia Water Department.

Kamar Bennett

Kamar Bennett

Kathleen Kaufmann

Kathleen Kaufmann

Kathleen grew up along the Delaware River, and wants to reach out to as many people as possible to teach them about their environment.

Kavon Eslambolchi

Kavon Eslambolchi

Kavon spent time outside growing up, and wants to know how to better reach the public and disperse information about the environment. 

Kayin Bankole

Kayin Bankole

Kayin is a returning fellow from 2017, and is excited to see that children are just as excited to learn about nature as he is!

Kayla Callender

Kayla Callender

Kayla loves the beach and is ecstatic to be on the shores of the Delaware at Independence Seaport Museum!

Keith Southerland

Keith Southerland

Kelci Knirnschild

Kelci Knirnschild

Kelci Knirnschild

Kelci Knirnschild

Kelci is proud to return to Lehigh Gap as a Fellow after 8 years of being a camper, leader & naturalist club member!

Kennedy Rush

Kennedy Rush

Kennedy, an environmental economics major, got to paddle in this year’s annual Sojourn on the Schuylkill paddling event!

Kierra Crafton

Kierra Crafton

Kierra spent time in her youth visiting the Poconos, and is looking forward to connecting with the youth in her own community.

Kimberly Estrada

Kimberly Estrada

Despite living in the Trenton area all her life, Kim wasn’t familiar with her Center until this job opportunity!

Kristopher Booker

Kristopher Booker

Kristopher did not spend much time outside growing up, but John Heinz is his favorite place when he wants to spend time in nature

Kyle Kaye

Kyle Kaye

Kyle’s favorite activity is hiking by his family’s cabin in Canada. He has seen the programs that impact the lives of children while at the Heritage Conservancy.

Lesslie Montiel

Lesslie Montiel

Liam Kehoe

Liam Kehoe

Liam has spent his entire life hiking, kayaking and camping, and is learning how to share the importance of the environment with different communities around his center.

Maggie Emley

Maggie Emley

Maggie is happy to work alongside other scientists doing water monitoring this summer!

Malcolm Loh

Malcolm Loh

Malcolm did not have the chance to spend a lot of time outside as a child, but now he will be working to learn about and work with the environment.

Marcus Baldwin

Marcus Baldwin

Marcus loves sci-fi, comics, video games & birdwatching; he hopes to become an archivist after graduating college.

Marcus Burrell

Marcus Burrell

Marcus is a returning fellow to the Alliance this summer! He wants to continue to gain knowledge about the watershed and the environment.

Marissa Wolfe

Marissa Wolfe

Marissa Wolfe grew up taking vacations that always centered around water, which led her to study Marine Affairs. She looks forward to teaching people how to positively impact the watershed.

Mark Santiago-Santini

Mark Santiago-Santini

Mark’s favorite place is the Bioluminescent Bay in Puerto Rico, and he loves swimming, both in Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania!

Melissa Acosta

Melissa Acosta

MyKyah Vessels

MyKyah Vessels

Nagiarry Porcena-Meneus

Nagiarry Porcena-Meneus

Nagiarry Porcena-Meneus grew up in the natural, wild beauty of Haiti. Her interest in people, places, and life has inspired her goal of publishing her book about parent-child relationships.

Nahida Rahman

Nahida Rahman

Nahida Rahman hopes to become a “person of nature” during her fellowship. Her experience in hospitality and her interpersonal skills will serve her well as she engages with the community on the docks at the Independence Seaport Museum.

Nayeli Perez

Nayeli Perez

Nayeli was surprised to learn of full-time jobs dedicated to protecting the Creek, but is now proud to be among them!

Ngoc Kim

Ngoc Kim

Ngoc is a returning fellow from summer of 2017. She loves spending time outdoors to rejuvenate her mind and body, since she did not have the opportunity to growing up.

Noah Jacobson

Noah Jacobson

Noah is eager to work hard this summer at his center, gain knowledge of the environment, and to share it with Philadelphia community.

Obeyo Comgbaye

Obeyo Comgbaye

Obeyo really enjoys canoeing the Delaware River–especially when bald eagles soar overhead!

Rachel Hess

Rachel Hess

Rachel Hess didn’t spend much time in nature growing up in suburban Harrisburg. She is eager to lead trail hikes during her fellowship, and hopes to pursue a career in environmental communications.

Ritvika Patodia

Ritvika Patodia

Ritvika loves the design and ideology behind the Discovery Center and is so excited to work at such an amazing getaway in the heart of Philadelphia!

Robb Rineer

Robb Rineer

Robb enjoys traveling and acting, and liked paddling with Outward Bound this summer.

Ronald Gleaves

Ronald Gleaves

Ronald wasn’t familiar with his Center before this Fellowship, but he was excited to go canoeing and has learned many new, surprising things!

Rosa Ramos

Rosa Ramos

Rosa loves learning new things in Nature, and was surprised to learn about her Center’s community outreach!

Samantha Walters

Samantha Walters

Samantha is a returning fellow, who is spending her second summer with the Alliance! Since last year, she has learned how diverse the communities of the watershed are, and how connected the people are.

Sara McClernan

Sara McClernan

Sara was a girl scout growing up, and got to spend time outside with her parents. She is learning at her center the impact that educating others can have on the environment.

Tarilyn Medlar

Tarilyn Medlar

Tarilyn spent a lot of time outside in her hometown in New York. She is looking forward to spreading the word about the Alliance through the website and social media!

Taylor Melodick-Robinson

Taylor Melodick-Robinson

Taylor’s experience building urban gardens has prepared her for a career in environmental justice nonprofit work!

Thomas Doyle

Thomas Doyle

Thomas Doyle swam in rivers, visited parks, and played in the woods as a child. He hopes to use his expertise in fixing bikes to improve people’s experiences on the trails.

Tilea Harpi

Tilea Harpi

Tilea loves the beach, and is looking forward to leading by example and making more environmentally healthy life choices.

Truth Muller

Truth Muller

Truth grew up near a wildlife management area, but is still looking forward to learn as much as possible while at PEEC.

Tucker Birmingham

Tucker Birmingham

Tucker has always loved seeing animals outside, and wants to get others excited about seeing wild animals in their natural habitats.

Tykee James

Tykee James

Tykee James became interested in observing nature by stargazing. He believes that the many obstacles between people and nature can be overcome by educating for the public good to create generational value.

Veronica Wynn

Veronica Wynn

Veronica loves playing in creeks & hopes to inspire people to become closer to nature.

Viviana Marshall

Viviana Marshall

Viviana is excited to continue learning to identify plants and track invasive species using technology!