Natural Place to Start

Lifelong Commitments to Environmentalism That Were Sparked by The Wetlands Institute

Children in the Summer Nature Program

Building connections to the natural world is at the heart of The Wetlands Institute’s mission. Whether it be through Summer Nature Programs for children, intensive internship programs for college students, or simply through time spent walking the institute’s trails and exploring the salt marshes, institute programs provide critical moments of connection to thousands of people of all ages every year. People need nature – and now, more than ever, nature needs us. Time and again, we hear from young environmental stewards whose early experiences with us influenced their lives, and whose passion for the natural world now guides them as they move forward to become nature’s next great advocates.

When we talk about our Head Start Program, we are usually referring to our terrapin conservation work, and we take great pride in the hundreds of terrapins that we hatch and release back to the marshes each year. But there is another group of “head starters” that we are especially proud of as well – the thousands of students who come through our doors each year to connect with nature, many for the first time. For some, their experiences ignite the spark of discovery and passion for the natural world that leads them on a journey to become the next generation of conservationists and educators. As we continue our efforts to study, protect, and teach people about our precious coastal ecosystem, these bright young minds provide inspiration and hope with their commitment to lifelong environmental stewardship. We have highlighted a few of many stories here.

Celina Ceballos, a lifelong Avalon summer resident and recent graduate from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., recently received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct sea turtle research in Honduras. Celina credits The Wetlands Institute for fostering her passion for turtles when she attended Summer Nature Camp while growing up. She later spent several summers volunteering in our Terrapin Conservation Program, gaining valuable field experience and deepening her growing passion for biology and ecology. She graduated from Eckerd College this spring as a marine science major with minors in chemistry, journalism and Spanish, and looks forward to making her mark in global sea turtle research.

Carlee Scott Dunn’s love of the ocean has always been a big part of her life. With her parents’ encouragement, she attended summer camps at The Wetlands Institute, which sparked her interest in salt marsh ecology and environmental science – an interest she took with her to the College of William and Mary, where she is now a dean’s list biology major and marine science minor. Carlee was just awarded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Education’s prestigious Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship – an extremely competitive two-year scholarship program awarded to aspiring undergraduates pursuing degrees in NOAA mission fields. She looks forward to digging into oceanographic research, marine biology and more, and we look forward to following her career.

Early career scientist tracking diamondback terrapins in the marsh.

Schoolchildren participating in a head start terrapin release with Wetlands Institute mascot Scute.

Brandon Henry’s connection to The Wetlands Institute stretches back to the third grade, when he and his family began attending programs and events here. Those early experiences helped cultivate his love of nature, and planted the seeds that grew into a driving passion to educate others and instill in them the same wonder he feels for the natural world. He attended summer camp here in the seventh grade, began volunteering in 2013, and became an Environmental Education intern for the summer of 2019. That summer was the time of his life, and gave him the skills he needed to enroll in the University of Maine this fall as a Ph.D. candidate.

“The institute is what focused me on becoming a teacher,” Brandon says. “Before the institute, I wasn’t sure if I would take on any graduate school; the institute opened me up to being able to do this. Going there was one of the most important steps to getting me where I am now.”

For Amanda Lyons, working alongside Wetlands Institute scientists for several summers prepared her well for her future in terrapin conservation work. Amanda joined us in 2018 as an undergraduate intern with the Coastal Conservation Research Program, and has returned each summer since to continue her research and dive deeper into analyzing terrapin genetics. Now with a master’s degree under her belt from Brown University, it is an honor to welcome Amanda and her expertise back on the team this summer to continue her fieldwork and take on a leadership role as a research assistant.

“The summers I spent at TWI not only prepared me well for a future in conservation,” she says, “but also taught me how much I love being knee-deep in mud with a turtle in each hand and reminded me why I wanted to become a biologist. Put simply, I would describe my experiences at the institute as productive, nurturing, and completely irreplaceable.”

These irreplaceable experiences are made possible through the generosity of donors who are committed to advancing our mission and providing access to early career training and mentoring in science and education. Support raised throughout the institute’s 50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign is ensuring that we can continue to train the next generation of environmental scientists and educators. Internship programs are now fully endowed by the Larry L. Luing Family Foundation and Barbara and Jim Summers.

Celina Ceballos

Brandon Henry holding a skimmer.

Carlee Scott Dunn

Jeannie and Jim Morris also share a passion and commitment to providing opportunities for graduate students to expand their education through applied research opportunities. Together they have provided support to establish the Jeannie Morris Graduate Fellowship program. With this fellowship, we were thrilled to welcome another enthusiastic nature-lover and fellow birder to the team this spring.

Chris Dolan is working as a research assistant and gaining valuable field experience in avian ecology, as well as exposure to diamondback terrapin and horseshoe crab research and conservation. Banding American oystercatchers within his first few weeks on the job was easily the coolest experience for him. “Knowing that this opportunity was made possible by others’ generosity makes me feel very grateful,” he says.

Chris Dolan with a banded American oystercatcher

For more than 30 years, the Coastal Conservation Research Program has provided full immersion in conservation biology research to 10 undergraduate interns annually representing students from more than 200 universities. The Environmental Education Intern Program, established eight years ago, provides an immersive experience for students interested in teaching in outdoor settings. After an unprecedented gap in programs last year due to COVID restrictions, we are thrilled to have interns back at the institute for the summer of 2021.

Scientists and educators at The Wetlands Institute are a remarkable group of people who share a passion for nature and a commitment to protecting it. Nearly every one of them will tell you a similar story about how they had an opportunity, found a mentor, or discovered something in nature that inspired them. For thousands of visitors every year, The Wetlands Institute provides these experiences, connections, and sparks, inspiring others to learn about the world around them and work to protect it.

The Wetlands Institute is pleased to be fully open with all of our programs offered this summer. If you have a child that is curious about nature and discovery, and is restless after a most unusual year, consider a visit to The Wetlands Institute. Maybe it will lead to the spark that ignites a driving passion, guides their future, and changes their life.