Introducing the Summer Interns of 2022

Other Stewardship

Malian Jennings

My name is Malian Jennings and I am a senior studying Environmental Conservation and Sustainability at the University of New Hampshire. I am excited to be working with Nature Groupie this summer and participating in various environmental stewardship projects. I will have the opportunity to work with new partners with a shared care for the environment and give back to local communities!

I am from a small town called Verona, New Jersey. I was able to get exposed to the outdoors through sleepaway camp in the Catskill Mountains. I fell in love as a child, and it has grown since then. So, I began exploring the outside on my own. I became a camp counselor for 3 years to motivate younger children to be active and environmentally aware. On my free time I like to hike with family and friends, garden, hammock, and paint. Last year I hiked in Mount Rainier National Park, and it was breath taking. Now I have a goal of hiking in as many National Parks or Forests as I can. This is my first summer in New Hampshire, so I plan to hike a few of the 48 4,000 footers in the White Mountains!

I have a lot of knowledge in the social science of environmental conservation but this opportunity to be hands-on in the field will allow me to look at our multifaceted environmental issues with a collective lens. I am looking forward to this new experience with Nature Groupie partners to further my network and my career in Natural Resources!

Daniel Persico

My name is Daniel Persico, and I am a Wildlife and Conservation Biology student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) who will be starting my senior year in the fall. I am looking forward to working with Nature Groupie on projects for a variety of conservation organizations at the local and state level, such as the Town of Durham, Bear-Paw Regional Greenways, and NH Fish and Game!

I grew up in Shelton, Connecticut where I would spend countless hours exploring the woods around my local trails looking for frogs, snakes, birds, insects, and whatever else piqued my interest. My fascination with wildlife and the natural world resulted in me spending my adolescent years hiking, fishing, and doing many other outdoor activities. In high school I decided that I wanted to dedicate my time and energy to something that I enjoyed and cared about deeply, which led me to study wildlife and conservation biology at UNH. In my time at UNH so far, I have learned about important ecosystem processes, wildlife population dynamics, habitat requirements, how to identify various plants and animal species, and many other things that have deepened my understanding of the natural world.

I believe that my experience with Nature Groupie will be a major steppingstone in my journey to start a career in the field of wildlife conservation and natural resources management. I am thrilled to be able to spend my summer working in the outdoors on projects that allow me give back to the land and meet some of the awesome people who work for these organizations!

Emily Wood

My name is Emily Wood and I am a senior at UNH majoring in Wildlife and Conservation Biology and minoring in Forestry and Geospatial Analysis. I am really looking forward to working with Nature Groupie this summer, and am excited to develop more field skills to apply to my future career in the natural resources. I am lucky enough that this will be my second year interning for UNH Cooperative Extension, and I am so thankful for all the knowledge I have gained from them thus far and am eager to learn more!

I grew up in Byfield, MA along the coast, and explored much of Maine and New Hampshire through the years. In my free time I enjoy hiking, fishing, kayaking, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. Growing up in the outdoors instilled an appreciation for nature, and the ecological systems that surround us which I have been able to apply to my career path. I came into college originally only studying wildlife, but found another passion for forestry as well. Working through UNH Extension has allowed me to fuel each of my passions through work while making connections, and lasting experiences in the meantime. I am confident that this opportunity will help develop many skills to better prepare me for field work in the future.