2024 Cohort

Intern, Methow at Home

Psychology, WWU

This summer, I'll be working with Methow at Home to listen to and record the stories and wisdom of local elders in this community. Our goal is to create a legacy of the diverse and fascinating elders living here, and to preserve their memories for future generations, as well as encourage their ability to tell their own stories. The promise of doing something positive and long-lasting makes me excited for this work. I believe that when people connect to seniors instead of pushing them to the margins, they will create more sustainable societies.

Planning Technician- Town of Twisp

Sustainability focusing on environment, Exchange in WWU

I'm helping with the town planning in the Town of Twisp and making the map data of the town on GIS. I also got opportunities to learn and think about the solutions for the housing crisis the town faces.

I think the impact of climate change is one of the most serious problems facing humanity. It motivates me a lot to feel that I'm contributing to the well-being of us and our future generations.

Recycling + Waste Reduction Fellow - Methow Recycles

Industrial Design and Sustainable Design, WWU

In my work for Methow Recycles, I will be conducting research on the concept, benefits, and implementation of a circular economy and sharing that information with the community. I will also be updating and organizing the Methow Recycles Share Library.

I am drawn to sustainability work because of the creative problem solving that it requires, and because of the positive changes I hope to see in the community and world around me.

Economic Program Intern - TwispWorks

Business and Sustainability, WWU

This summer, my main project involves compiling funding resources to help small businesses and organizations in the valley become more sustainable and energy efficient. I will also write articles for the business eNewsletter, collaborate with partners to assess their sustainability strategies, and help with campus events. I was drawn to this position because economic vitality and community engagement are crucial components of sustainability. Unfortunately, saving the planet requires extensive financial resources. I want to learn how to secure funding and support for businesses, organizations, and projects that are making a difference.

Department of Fish and Wildlife intern - Department of Fish and Wildlife

Biology with a minor in American Indian Studies, WWU

I am really grateful to work with the DFW because they allow for a holistic view on working with all of the aspects of environmentalism. I am doing land management, working with fisheries, wildlife biology, and working with plant species. I am drawn to sustainability in ecological work because I want to learn how best animals and plants work together and how those relationships affect the world. I also think that sustainability is needed to make our world better especially in the environmental world.

Sustainability Youth Corps Leader - Methow Valley School District

History and Biology, Pomona College

I am working with the Methow Valley School District to lead student restoration work in Loup Canyon, a bustling, beautiful spot that burned in 2009. I am honored to help form a program that will enable students county-wide to build technical and leadership skills. I am drawn to sustainability because I think the four pillars hold a sense of balance that is appealing to people with different perspectives and that requires sustained relationship building vital to healing our world.

Climate Leadership Fellow- Resilient Methow

Environmental Science (Toxicology Emphasis), Environmental Policy Minor, WWU

This summer, I'm working with Resilient Methow to further the implementation process of their climate action plan. My work will include research, community outreach and education, and collaboration with partner organizations to support the push toward community resiliency and carbon neutrality. I'm drawn to sustainability work due to its ability to foster cross-sector and systems-level approaches to environmental issues. I'm excited to bring my passion for this work to the Methow Valley and to learn from those already making great strides toward a more just and sustainable future.

Field Technician - Home Range Wildlife Research

Environmental Science (Emphasis in Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecology, WWU

This summer I have the awesome opportunity to work with HRWR on their lynx and wildfire study. I spend a few days a week hiking around the study area taking vegetation assessments of the lynx habitat. I am drawn to sustainability work as a way to create a better world for the environments we've impacted and for future generations.

Energy Efficiency Intern - Okanogan County Electric Co-op

Business and Sustainability, WWU

I will be helping the electric co-op with finding new solutions to mitigate energy usage in the surrounding area. This includes brainstorming energy-efficient advancements for households and meeting with community members and other organizations to understand the region's needs.

I am drawn to sustainability work as I have always loved nature and experienced firsthand the effects of pollution on our planet. I am passionate about protecting our world and everyone that inhabits it!

Okanogan Planning Fellow - Mazama Advisory Committee & Okanogan County

Spatial Justice Studies, Fairhaven College, WWU

I'm honored to be collaborating with Okanogan County & the Mazama Advisory Committee this summer. We are revising a section of the Comprehensive Plan and amplifying local voices to determine the details of this revision—empowering them to have a say in what they want to see in their community's future.

I am drawn to sustainability work because it has its eye on the past and the future. Sustainability recognizes that the many hegemonic systems structuring our world must collapse, and be remembered, in order for us to co-create futures we all want and love.

Methow Trails Collaborative Technician, Methow Valley Trails Collaborative

Environmental Science with GIS Minor - WWU

With the Trails Collaborative, I spend a lot of my time out on the trails doing maintenance to make the trails and nature more accessible and safe for people. I spend the rest of my time in the office helping write trail reports, outreach, and helping build and maintain relationships with the community and other organizations.

I am drawn to sustainability work because I want to help persevere our natural world and the people and organisms living in it. And being involved in the community to make sure they live in harmony is important to me.

Business Outreach & Communications Fellow, Okanogan County Economic Alliance

Business and Sustainability Major. Economics Minor. Business Administration Minor. Climate Leadership Certificate, WWU

In my position with the Economic Alliance I provider services to collaborate with businesses from multiple sectors across Okanogan County, strengthening the community for economic growth across the county. I get to work on the prioritization process for county projects and requests for proposals for county contracts with the goal of fulfilling the Economic Alliance's mission, including community engagement and economic vitality.

I have been drawn to sustainability most of my life, starting with Earth Day park clean ups and evolving to my pursuing of a degree in Business and Sustainability at WWU. Sustainability is important to me because equitable and environmentally conscious work I believe, is key to creating the kind of community and word I want to live in, and that I think future generations deserve to experience.

Communications, Sustainability Pathways

Visual Journalism & Wildlife Multimedia Journalism, WWU

I am doing Communications for Sustainability pathways which entails conveying program impact, gathering photos and videos of the practicum experience, and creating a portrait of place of Loup Canyon. As a visual journalist, I love the opportunity to educate the community on topics regarding the environment and sustainability and showcasing the work that is being done to make a better world and give people hope for the future.

Systems Change Program Fellow - Foundation for Youth Resilience & Engagement (FYRE)

Environmental Studies: Policy, Politics, and Governance, WWU

This summer I will be working as a Systems Change Program Fellow with the Foundation for Youth Resiliency and Engagement (FYRE) in Omak, Wa. With FYRE I will be researching long and short term housing models for youth. Sustainability to me is about equity and resiliency so I am excited to dive into the community in Omak and learn about creating safe, fun, and warm spaces for young people.

Teacher at Classroom In Bloom and Maria Hines research assistant for Blue Sky Minds, Classroom In Bloom and Blue Sky Minds

Urban Planning and Sustainable Development with a specialization in food Sovereignty, WWU

I am drawn to this work because I need a reciprocal relationship with the land I live on. A huge part of this for me is fostering liberation for all by fighting for food sovereignty. The work I am a part of this summer promotes the connection between communities, individuals, and place. Getting to be a part of the community in the Methow Valley around food cultivation has been revolutionary in learning more about the self-determination we can have around the food we eat.

Journalism Intern, Methow Valley News

Environmental Studies/Journalism, WWU

As a journalism intern at the Methow Valley News, I interview sources, take photos and write articles on public affairs in the heart of the valley. The independently-owned newspaper has served the valley with government accountability and community connection for 120 years.

I enjoy providing accessible scientific and policy information amid the looming threat of climate change. With the emphasis on national policy and declining local news industry, I believe local reporting is more important than ever, since all policy eventually plays out at the neighborhood level, where citizens deserve access to the information they need to make decisions about their lives.

Sage-Step Habitat Conservation Advocate - Conservation Northwest

Environmental Science, WWU

In my work with Conservation Northwest I am trying to increase public understanding of conservation projects. I have been doing this by creating informational material for social media, classrooms, and conferences, that explains the state of different species across Washington, and what CNW is doing to increase connectivity. I feel that this work is important, as public engagement and feedback is crucial in any sort of conservation work. Sustainable, long term solutions come from an involved community that cares about protecting and managing our land for generations to come.