28 May Welcome To The Everglades!

Hello everyone from sunny Florida! My name is Nicole Kemon and I am a senior at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, Virginia triple majoring in Environmental Studies, Sociology, and Spanish. I am originally from the Washington D.C. area and I am thrilled to be part of the very first cohort of the Fish & Feathers Program of the Environment for the Americas. I am very thankful for being given the opportunity to be a part of this internship. I have always been interested in how society works as a whole and how meanings, interactions, and culture can provide explanations of why problems are created and offer solutions that coincide with the values, morals, and ideals of the society. Ideally, I am working toward preparing myself a career where I can combine all three of my fields of study and make a positive impact on a local, grassroot level. My current research interests all fall into the category of environmental sociology; I would like to research about topics such as climate justice, migrant refugees, urban sustainability, environmental degradation, and pollution. I have a special interest in marine life and the health of water habitats like wetlands, mangroves, and coral reefs. Outside of environmentalism, I enjoy hiking, running, kayaking, crafting, and reading comic books while listening to vinyl. 

After an intense training on fishing, owling, and birding at the Rocky Mountains in Colorado with other fellow interns, I am off to a great first week at the Gulf Coast District of Everglades National Park. I arrived on this past Sunday to Florida and started my first day bright and early on Monday. I look forward to continuing to immersing myself with the wonderful environment here at the Everglades and I am excited to see what is next in store for me these first few weeks!