This summer, 31 interns and seasonal staff joined NEIWPCC’s team to gain first-hand training and career experience in various aspects of environmental work. Based out of four states, these paid positions range from wastewater treatment and invasive species management to business operations and communications.
As part of the inaugural year of the Emerging Water Professionals Internship Program, Robert Bruce and Mina Regnery work at the Nashua, New Hampshire Wastewater Treatment Facility. Here, they gain on-site knowledge of the wastewater treatment process and work directly with plant staff performing various roles. Additionally, Bruce and Regnery are provided training and resources to prepare for New Hampshire’s Grade 1 Operator License exam, which helps them enter the wastewater field. Regnery is a student at the University of New England majoring in sustainability and business, and Bruce brings various professional experiences to his role.
Amy Zheng was hired as a water quality and communications intern with the Water Quality Programs Division in the Lowell, Massachusetts office. She supports the Long Island Garden Rewards Program, which aims to reduce stormwater runoff to local waters. In this role, she provides guidance to program participants and reimbursements for native plantings, rain barrels and rain gardens on Long Island. Zheng is also developing communications tools to promote clean water work. She is entering her senior year at Boston College with a major in environmental studies and a minor in biology.
Ava Kail joined NEIWPCC’s headquarters office as a business operations intern. She provides administrative office support such as helping with data entry and bulk mailings for wastewater training and certification programs. Additionally, she is working to enact office sustainability initiatives such as reducing paper waste and researching sustainable supply options. Kail is a student at Bentley University where she is majoring in finance and business.
Working with NEIWPCC’s Wastewater and Onsite Programs Division, Ruby Neustadt was hired as the Youth and the Environment Program (YEP) coordinator based in Lowell. She oversees all aspects of the YEP program including supervising and mentoring youth, developing environmental education curriculum, coordinating field trips, and organizing work activities at the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility. Neustadt recently graduated from Middlebury College with a joint bachelor’s degree in anthropology and environmental studies.
The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) recruited Fiona Bishop and Mia Handte-Reinecker as education and outreach stewards, engaging the public on a variety of watershed topics and stewardship actions. The duo staff outreach events and the resource room within ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. Both attend the University of Vermont; Bishop studying sustainability and ecology, and Handte-Reinecker majoring in environmental science.
Additionally, 24 seasonal staff were hired as aquatic invasive species boat launch stewards with the LCBP. Working at various public boat launches around Lake Champlain in Vermont and New York, they educate lake visitors about aquatic invasive species, collect data, and inspect and decontaminate watercraft for aquatic organisms. Of this group, nine are returning stewards, including Robert Caldwell and Matthew Herberg, both in their fourth season, who stepped into a new role as field assistants. In this capacity, Caldwell and Herberg not only perform boat launch steward duties, but they also mentor new staff and assist with training throughout the season. Other tasks include supporting field operation and decontamination unit maintenance, and collecting and delivering aquatic species samples for identification.
The remaining stewards bring varied backgrounds – some with decades of work experience while others are current or recently graduated college students from around the country. The LCBP Instagram account is featuring profiles of each seasonal staff member throughout the summer.