Alumni Spotlight: Naiyiri-Blu Brooker

Naiyiri-Blu Brooker is the Natural Resources Training Coordinator at NYC Parks, where she coordinates the workforce development programs for high school and college students. Naiyiri-Blu was an intern with the NAC in 2018 and 2021. As an intern, she gained experience monitoring NYC shorelines through vegetation and invertebrate data collection.This led her to join NYC Parks for the first time as a Wetland Project Associate, before transitioning back to the NAC, but this time as an Internship Coordinator—spearheading the Student Urban Nature High School Program. Craving the opportunity to be out in the field year-round, Naiyiri-Blu found her way back to NYC Parks in her current role in 2025! 

Learn more about Naiyiri-Blu’s career in environmental science and how her experiences at the NAC helped contribute to this exciting journey!

1. What inspired you to pursue your current role or field?

NBB: As a big invertebrate lover, one of the main things us ‘bug-lovers’ like to do is share how amazing invertebrates are. This started at a young age of having my parents and sister gather in the living room where I hosted mini presentations about different marine invertebrates, including the octopus, snails & squids. Even during my career as my interest expanded from marine invertebrates to freshwater macroinvertebrates, I continued wanting to share how amazing and overlooked these critters were. I realized I enjoyed sharing about invertebrates as much as I enjoyed researching and learning about them. I was lucky enough to connect those two both through my previous role with Natural Areas Conservancy as an Internship Coordinator with High School interns, as well as my current  role as Natural Areas Training Coordinator with NYC Parks. I’ve recently also taken a liking to learning more about identifying terrestrial invertebrates and have hosted a few  identification workshops as well for Natural Resources Group staff.  

2. What were some barriers you encountered along the way? 

NBB: I think, in a way, being in this field is a more untraditional job and career. And while that is great for the opportunities and work-life balance and connection with nature – there also comes the part of realizing you have to build your own path. Find your own mentors, make sure you take relevant college courses / gain the right experience, know what are the right questions to ask. When I started this path, there was no one to help guide me along the way, I had to research how to get to the place I am today, and that is both freeing in gaining those independent skills, but also  frustrating, and makes one think – “It shouldn’t be this hard.” Those feelings help guide me today in making sure the interns and seasonal staff I work with have those resources and mentors at the ready.  

3. What skills or experiences from your time at NAC do you use most in your current work?

NBB: A lot of project management goes into the workforce development I do. Keeping track of the several projects happening across the teams, and pairing our seasonal interns and apprentices with our staff in the field and learning from them.  

I also credit my plant identification skills to NAC that I’ve kept sharp throughout my work which I  use both when training our high school and college students new to the field, as well as when I join our staff in the field for vegetation monitoring.  

4. How did your NAC internship or experience shape your career goals? 

My summer in 2018 with NAC was my first field biologist gig and introduced me to the work I still love today. Not only did it provide me with field experience for future job opportunities but gave me a peek at the very possible careers in this field available to me.  

5. Can you share a memory from NAC that still impacts you, and why?

NBB: Many NAC staff I had the pleasure of working briefly with during my first internship cohort with  them in 2018 I’ve been able to stay connected to (Helen, Leah, Elizabeth, Jess Hoch). They were great mentors during my internship where I felt comfortable to ask questions and made me feel confident in the data collection work I was doing then. I can only hope I bring the same mentorship into my own work both when I was NAC as an Internship Coordinator, and in my current role with NYC Parks.  

The Urban NEST internship is made possible through the generous support of the Leon Levy Foundation. 

Learn more about our the NAC’s workforce programs.