Field Notes: Q&A with Intern Julia Amoroso

Julia is a seasonal field coordinator for the high school Student Urban Nature (SUN) internship program in Forest Park, Queens. She received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Scripps College, where she focused on ecology and entomology. With a passion for both environmental research and education, she is excited to facilitate urban ecology research with the NAC this summer. She is looking forward to getting to know Forest Park and cultivating scientific skills in the future generation of urban ecologists. 

Read on to learn more about Julia and what she’s been up to at the NAC!

What motivated you to pursue an internship with the NAC?

JA: As a native New Yorker, NYC’s natural areas hold an extremely special place in my heart and sparked my lifelong love of nature. The NAC’s commitment to conserving and promoting these essential natural areas made it the perfect organization for me to get involved with this summer. Beyond the NAC’s wide-reaching involvement in parks, the organization’s values of inclusion and accessibility within science have made this organization stand out as one I feel passionate about furthering.

Can you tell us more about the specific project you’re working on and what drew you to it?

JA: This summer, I’m the Seasonal Field Coordinator for the Summer Urban Nature High School Internship in Forest Park. This internship allows NYC public school students to create, carry out, and present their own ecological research focused on pond health in an urban park. Our students are working on two projects: vegetation sampling and a benthic macro invertebrate survey. I was drawn to this project because of the opportunity to facilitate environmental learning and share my love of New York’s ecology with participating students.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far during your time with the NAC?

JA: In my time at the NAC, I have learned important lessons in flexibility and thinking on your feet. Planning environmental education and executing that plan are completely different processes, and I have often found myself having to make changes due to weather, changes in the environment, or the interns’ interest in certain topics. This experience with the NAC has given me confidence in my ability to be adaptable and pivot based on situational changes.

Do you have a favorite spot in NYC’s natural areas that you love to visit?

JA: It’s so hard for me to pick one! I love the woods in Prospect Park, but to pick a specific spot, I’ve been loving one tree in Forest Park that has a knot close enough to the ground to sit on, like a natural chair.

What advice would you give to New Yorkers who want to get more involved in conservation efforts?

JA: I would emphasize that conservation efforts are everywhere in the city! We seem to be so distant from nature in NYC but, to me, this has never felt true. The city is our ecosystem and nature is all around us in many unimaginable ways. I would advise checking out your local park’s volunteer stewardship days to get started in your neighborhoods and staying up to date on the amazing environmental events that the NAC hosts periodically.

What’s your next step after this internship?

JA: After this internship, I am continuing to look for other ecological research opportunities in the New York City area. I want to continue engaging in urban environmental conservation and research in NYC’s natural areas and hope to pursue further education in conservation and invertebrate ecology. 

Learn more about the NAC’s internship programs.

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