News

We’re giving a warm welcome to this summer’s water-quality interns — Maddie, Megan and Maia — who arrived this week and dove right in to Sound Rivers’ Swim Guide program.

The three will be instrumental in running the summer-long program, sampling, coordinating and meeting up with volunteers, testing samples and recording and sharing data. In addition, they will also be helping out Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Jill Howell and Neuse Riverkeeper Sam Krop with research.

In our Washington office, we have Madelyn Garrison, a junior at East Carolina University, majoring in biology. She refers to herself as an “Army brat,” and is originally from Fort Stewart, Georgia. Maddie says she applied for the job of intern with Sound Rivers because it would be “a great opportunity for me to get some experience working in environmental science, while also being able to give back to the community.”

Megan Long will be working out of the New Bern office this summer. Megan is a senior at East Carolina University, majoring in public health with a concentration in community health. Born and raised in Greenville (home of ECU), Megan sought out an internship with Sound Rivers in order to see a different side of public health — environmental health.

“I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn and grow as a public health student,” Megan said.

And in our Raleigh office, we have Maia Schweikert. Maia is from Elkin, a small town in Western North Carolina, which is where her love for the environment first blossomed. She loves being outdoors, whether hiking, swimming or climbing, especially at Stone Mountain State Park. Maia is focusing on environmental studies, and social and economic justice at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Passionate about environmental justice, Maia hopes to pursue her passion by engaging in environmental advocacy or law in the future. For now, she says she’s excited to help protect our watershed and all of the people who rely on these waterways.

Welcome, Maddie, Megan and Maia!