Outer Island Interns 2018

Sage Maier

My name is Sage Maier and I am a senior at Central Connecticut State University in the biology program. I have a focus on ecology, biodiversity, and evolutionary biology.  I interned at the Beardsley Zoo in the education programming department, presenting programs to the public and working with the animals. I have also volunteered with Connecticut Forest and Parks Association for many years. I started the Outing Club at CCSU, which focuses on enjoying the outdoors. The environment has always been really important to me since I love camping, hiking, and anything outdoors. I am very excited to work with the wildlife refuge at Outer Island this summer!

Joshua Bartosiewicz

Greetings, my name is Joshua Bartosiewicz! I am currently a graduate student at Southern Connecticut State University; I am enrolled in the Environmental Education program. For my undergraduate degree, I attended Eastern Connecticut University and majored in Environmental Earth Science. I was even lucky enough to take part in a research project that was based around the Thimble Islands in Branford, CT (Benthic Geologic Habitats of the Lang Shellfish Beds: Branford River and the Thimble Islands, Long Island Sound, U.S.A.).

I am ecstatic to return to an area I am familiar with to do even more research and to be a part of the Outer Island program. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, playing disc golf and when I can, I travel. I’ve been to various countries which include: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Iceland, and a few others. Experiencing different cultures is definitely one of my favorite things to do. I look forward to living on Outer Island this summer, educating the public and conducting more research. See you on the island!

Ian Bergemann

Hi, my name is Ian Bergemann, and I'm currently a freshman at Southern State Connecticut University. I love going for hikes and planting at my house.

I worked for nearly 4 years at Bishop's Orchard in Guilford, doing a summer education program that taught children the importance of agriculture and sustainability through composting. Currently, I work very closely with my college as a Student Government Association Representative trying to create more sustainable field trips and programs.

I am excited to be doing this internship because I love being able to educate people about the importance of protecting our local ecosystems and how fragile they are. My goal is to eventually work in policy and advocacy for more environmental protection and sustainable practices. I hope to learn new experiences from this internship and become more aware of how agencies and people work together to protect our valuable wildlife.