✨ Kate’s Testimonial
“The community is so full of passion and kindness; they helped me further my love for nature and research.”
I decided to intern with Earthwise Aware during the summer of 2021 for many reasons, including that their mission of protecting biodiversity through action-driven nature conservation and their emphasis on learning and community resonated with me. It was a fantastic decision, and I have learned so much from EwA’s many knowledgeable and passionate citizen scientists–while also having a ton of fun.
During the Spring Semester of my Junior year, I considered conducting Senior Research and a Senior Thesis at Brandeis University. As I was brainstorming topics, the thought of how incredible it would be to work with Earthwise Aware again immediately came to mind. I loved the phenology and entomology documentation I did the previous summer and wanted to continue spending time with the amazing community; thus, this was a perfect situation. I could continue to investigate phenology and entomology in the Fells, a place I had come to love, which people I loved being around.
I contacted Claire to discuss conducting research with Earthwise Aware and asked her to be my research advisor for my thesis. She helped me figure out what I wanted to study, how best to approach my research, and how to ask the right questions. She never hesitated to answer my numerous questions and always helped me address challenges as they arose. Most importantly, she always encouraged me to take a step back to think critically about the process and consistently pushed me to improve on all fronts. Finally, she helped me gain confidence in myself and my research ability, and I learned an exceptional amount from her. With Claire’s guidance, I was able to accomplish much more than I ever imagined I would.
For my Senior Research, I could integrate my research site with EwA’s Long Pond site, which meant that even though I was doing separate surveys from the other community members, I still got to meet up with many of them on Friday mornings. These mornings were the highlight of my week, and I will always reflect on the conversations and memories with exceptional fondness. The community is so full of passion and kindness, and they helped me further my love for nature and research.
In particular, I am grateful to Kathy McGlathery and Jennifer Clifford for their help on my research grant proposal and the EwA 2022 Phenology Report. Their feedback was invaluable, and I appreciate how much time and effort they spent reviewing my writing and helping me improve my project. Between their input and the feedback from the broader EwA community, I created a project that I am proud of.
– Kate Danziger | June 11th, 2023
2022-2023 Research Intern at EwA – Brandeis University Environmental Studies Program
Biological Science Technician at The National Park Service at Niobrara National Scenic River