Guest blogs by Sandra Spreckley and Izzy Gerard
Hello! My name is Sandra Spreckley and I am interning with TTF this summer. I am a senior at Penn State studying Environmental Resource Management with minors in both Environmental Engineering and Watersheds and Water Resources. I live in Northeast Philadelphia, so I am super excited to help restore my own city throughout the summer.
I learned about TTF from a Google search of environmental organizations in Philadelphia. After reviewing their website, I knew I had to get involved. I have always loved the outdoors and hope to help maintain its diverse ecological roles through my individual efforts at TTF.
At Penn State, I was able to involve myself with many outdoor restoration projects. I helped design, build, and plant a rain garden in downtown State College. This project was especially rewarding because I was able to see it in action almost every day. I also helped with a riparian buffer restoration project around Spring Creek as well as a wetland restoration project. All of these experiences allowed me to realize my passion for keeping the environment healthy.
I plan to graduate this December and hope to work as an Environmental Consultant in the future. My experience here at TTF will definitely help me achieve this goal. I am eager to start this internship and look forward to expanding my horizons through TTF.
My name is Izzy Gerard, and I’m also interning with TTF this summer. I’m a rising junior at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. My family recently moved to Philadelphia, and I’ve been looking for ways to get involved in local conservation efforts to supplement my education in environmental policy. I’m a politics major at Puget Sound, with a minor in environmental policy, so I’ve always been interested in the policy and legislative side of conservation. My current goal is to go to law school and study environmental law.
I don’t have much practical experience in the sort of work TTF does; that’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to intern here. I’ve taken courses and studied environmental literature, but I’ve been looking for a way to apply that knowledge and information in a way that can help my community. That being said, this is something I’ve always been interested in pursuing, so I’m grateful to be getting the chance to do this now.
Besides my educational interests, I play the guitar and the cello. I’ve got a lengthy Netflix queue that I’m slowly working my way through (and am always looking for more recommendations), and I love playing with my dog, Daisy. (I have two cats as well, Scout and Axel, but they hate people, so we don’t do much playing, but instead tend to exchange aggressive glares.) I love sports, namely soccer and football, so given the time, I’ll ramble on about the Seahawks and the Portland Thorns ‘til I’m blue in the face. I’m a ridiculous sports fan.
I’m definitely looking forward to working with TTF and getting to know the staff more. I’m excited to learn more about the conservation efforts in the Philadelphia area, and how to better protect my own environment.
We love hosting interns! Learn more here.
