The goal of life is to make y o u r h e a r t be a t m a tc h t h e b e a t o f t he universe, ...
52 Children in the Summer Nature Program
Natural Place
Early career scientist tracking diamondback terrapins in the marsh.
to Start
Lifelong Commitments to Environmentalism That Were Sparked by The Wetlands Institute By Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute
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uilding connections to the natural world is at the heart of The Wetlands Institute’s mission. Whether it be through Summer Nature Programs for children, intensive internship programs for college students, or simply through time spent walking the institute’s trails and exploring the salt marshes, institute programs provide critical moments of connection to thousands of people of all ages every year. People need nature – and now, more than ever, nature needs us. Time and again, we hear from young environmental stewards whose early experiences with us influenced their lives, and whose passion for the natural world now guides them as they move forward to become nature’s next great advocates. When we talk about our Head Start Program, we are usually referring to our terrapin conservation work, and we take
great pride in the hundreds of terrapins that we hatch and release back to the marshes each year. But there is another group of “head starters” that we are especially proud of as well – the thousands of students who come through our doors each year to connect with nature, many for the first time. For some, their experiences ignite the spark of discovery and passion for the natural world that leads them on a journey to become the next generation of conservationists and educators. As we continue our efforts to study, protect, and teach people about our precious coastal ecosystem, these bright young minds provide inspiration and hope with their commitment to lifelong environmental stewardship. We have highlighted a few of many stories here. Celina Ceballos, a lifelong Avalon summer resident and recent graduate from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg,
Fla., recently received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct sea turtle research in Honduras. Celina credits The Wetlands Institute for fostering her passion for turtles when she attended Summer Nature Camp while growing up. She later spent several summers volunteering in our Terrapin Conservation Program, gaining valuable field experience and deepening her growing passion for biology and ecology. She graduated from Eckerd College this spring as a marine science major with minors in chemistry, journalism and Spanish, and looks forward to making her mark in global sea turtle research. Carlee Scott Dunn’s love of the ocean has always been a big part of her life. With her parents’ encouragement, she attended summer camps at The Wetlands Institute, which sparked her interest in salt marsh ecology and environmental science – an interest she took
with her to the College of William and Mary, where she is now a dean’s list biology major and marine science minor. Carlee was just awarded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Education’s prestigious Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship – an extremely competitive two-year scholarship program awarded to aspiring undergraduates pursuing degrees in NOAA mission fields. She looks forward to digging into oceanographic research, marine biology and more, and we look forward to following her career. Brandon Henry’s connection to The Wetlands Institute stretches back to the third grade, when he and his family began attending programs and events here. Those early experiences helped cultivate his love of nature, and planted the seeds that grew into a driving passion to educate others and instill in them continued on page 54
Schoolchildren participating in a head start terrapin release with Wetlands Institute mascot Scute.
Seven Mile Times
July 2021
Celina Ceballos
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