Hello! My name is Itzamar, (fun fact: my name is backwards from my mother’s name: Maritza). This summer I will be serving as a Fish & Feathers intern at the National Park Service Chesapeake office in Annapolis, Maryland. This is a unique position in that it is not located at a specific traditional park. Instead, I will have the opportunity of traveling to different parts of the state of Maryland to attend environmental events in collaboration with local organizations like the Chesapeake Conservancy, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and local National Parks. Having lived in the Washington D.C, Maryland, Virginia area for a long time (also known as the D.M.V), I couldn’t be more passionate about connecting underserved communities in the area to birding and fishing opportunities near the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States and most productive in the world!

Environmental education has been a part of my life for quite some time, starting from when I volunteered at my local nature center in high school. Although I was simply seeking some community service hours to be able to graduate, that opportunity would transform into my passion in life. I took this newfound passion to the University of Maryland, where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy. From there, I’ve worked doing environmental education teaching a broad of different topics, such as beekeeping, fishing, farming, water quality, wildlife conservation, maple syrup, and birding.