Our Interns

MEET OUR FRIENDS’ NATURALIST INTERNS FOR 2024

LUNA FREEMAN

Hello everyone! My name is Luna Freeman and I am from Geneseo. I just graduated in May from SUNY Oneonta with a degree in Environmental Sustainability, so this internship was the perfect next step for me! As much as I love to be outdoors – hiking, kayaking, camping, and other fun things – I wasn’t always positive I wanted to pursue a career in environmentalism. I grew up extremely passionate about Musical Theater. My dream was to sing and dance on stage forever. I was originally accepted to Oneonta as a theater major, and it wasn’t until a week before my freshman year that I noticed they offered a degree in Environmental Sustainability, which led me to realize I did not want to spend the rest of my life doing auditions and living in the city. After much thought, I changed my major, and I am confident in saying that was the best decision I’ve ever made. I was still able to fulfill my love for performing by joining a theater club, my campus’ dance company, singing in a choir, and I even had the honor of singing the National Anthem at my graduation! I loved just about every class I got to take during my undergrad. The major was very interdisciplinary, so I was able to experience many different aspects to sustainability aside from general conservation (my biology and earth science classes being my favorite)! I am very interested in the natural world, learning about natural disasters, extreme weather, physical geography, and of course, wildlife. One experience I am most thankful for from college was having the privilege of studying abroad in Guatemala last summer learning about hands-on sustainable water management research in the Lake Atitlan area! During this trip, I got to hike an active volcano, which is something I will never forget. I love working with people and educating others, so I am very excited to be here at Five Rivers and I hope I get to meet some of you!

ISAAC MELVILLE

Hi! My name is Isaac and I’m from a small town called Corinth, which is roughly an hour north of Five Rivers. The path to my current position was not the typical route that most people take. I started my academic career by attending a two-year college, SUNY Adirondack, where I studied police science/criminal justice with the anticipation of becoming a state trooper. After graduating, I was determined to keep learning. I decided to continue my studies at Siena College, where I studied political science. Midway through my senior year, I came to the realization that I thoroughly enjoyed the academics I was studying, but I could not visualize myself pursuing the “stereotypical” job in either field. At Siena, I was strongly encouraged by my mentor, Dr. Eccarius-Kelly, to push towards my true passion – being outdoors. Specifically, my favorite activities are hiking, fishing, and kayaking. With very little academic experience pertaining to the environment, I made my best attempt to combine my political science degree with my love for being outside. Fortunately, my efforts landed me a position as a hazardous waste compliance intern at DEC’s main office in Albany during my last semester, and now an internship here at Five Rivers after I graduated from Siena in May. Five Rivers has been the ideal spot for me to bolster my environmental skills, as well as my educational knowledge of the natural world and the organisms that inhabit it. Ultimately, I wish to encourage others to follow their life ambitions and goals, regardless of educational experiences, or lack of, that are preventing people from doing what they are passionate about. “Do what you love, and love what you do.”

MEET OUR DEC INTERNS FOR 2024

ISABELLE KEEFE

Hi all! I am Isabelle Keefe. I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, but I spent the last four years up here in New York. Growing up, I was a kid you could always find barefoot in a mud puddle and climbing trees. My family goes camping yearly and as a Girl Scout, my love for the outdoors grew. I was drawn up north by the picturesque Lake Ontario, where I studied Zoology at SUNY Oswego. While at school I was part of the Outdoors Club, an herbarium intern, and a teaching assistant for the entomology class. Insects truly piqued my interest, yes, I know they can be creepy and crawly, but they play an integral part in our ecosystem. This past summer, I worked for the SCA as a Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps Youth Crew Leader where I lead a group of high schoolers through land conservation projects. After talking to the environmental educators at each state part my crew and I worked at I found I wanted to go into the environmental education field. So here I am now at the beautiful and wildlife abundant, Five Rivers where I get to educate the public and care for our wonderful ambassador animals.

HAYDEN KESSINGER

Hi friends! My name is Hayden Kessinger. I was born and raised playing outside and eating dirt (thanks to the encouragement of my older sister) on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. However, my interest in this work did not blossom like most people you find working or interning at an environmental education center. Of course, I am endlessly curious about the environment, and a passionate advocate for conservation and sustainability but I lack formal experience or education in environmental sciences or education. Instead, I studied human science and graduated from the University of Maryland with a BS in Kinesiology in the Spring of 2023; a week later, alongside ten strangers, I began pedaling away from Baltimore, MD, headed for San Francisco, CA. We fundraised for the Ulman Foundation, a cancer nonprofit, and rode our bikes across the country, spreading the message that no young adult should face cancer alone. After our arrival, I stayed in California for a while, exploring my options to have the impact I desire while thinking hard about how I want to have that impact. I knew I wanted to have a service-oriented life and career, but I was caught up in all the different areas of service I could pursue. Then, when a friend of a friend advised me to think about what I loved doing when I was five and pursue service related to that, I teared up. I remembered following frogs in the backyard with my sister and cleaning mud off our entire bodies with the hose (then taking a few gulps from it). I felt the overflowing joy that came from jumping in a freshly raked pile of leaves at my grandmother’s house. I smelled the trees and fields that surrounded my home. I always knew environmental/outdoor education was important, but at the end of this phone call, I realized that I needed to share my love of nature with young minds to offer them experiences like I had. I am very excited to continue learning and growing while playing outside with my new colleagues and students as an Environmental Educator through the SCA.

EMMA PARKER

Hi there! I am Emma Parker from Slingerlands, NY (so right around the corner)! I grew up going to Five Rivers and have had a love and passion for nature and the outdoors for as long as I can remember. This place is where I found a love for ferns and hemlocks and just exploring my curiosity in nature. I grew up going to DEC camp and knew I wanted to get a job within the realm of environmental conservation “when I grew up” (in quotations because we are all kids at heart). I recently graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Biology and double minors in Math and Sustainability Studies.  At Geneseo, I was a student intern for the office of sustainability and a member of the arboretum committee. I also was president of the beekeeping club and have a love for pollinators and native plants! I found a love for hiking and camping because I grew up between the Adirondacks and Catskills, and my parents cherish spending time in nature too. This past summer, I was a part of an SCA trail crew in Washington state and learned a lot about trail building and loved living out of a tent in the back country. That led me to want to find another SCA position and here I am! The perfect combination of SCA and DEC. I really look forward to my time interning at Five Rivers and fueling my passions even more.