Wednesday, June 27, 2012

And So It Begins!


Me with my favorite member
of my old zoo's education team... 
Zoey, a baby spider monkey.

Hi, everyone!

My name is Mary Angilly and I’m a first year addition to the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay staff as a Senior Marine Educator. I graduated from Northeastern University in 2011 with a B.S. in Psychology and Biology. I had many amazing experiences at NU, but what really made me fall in love with children and the non-profit world was a 2009 study abroad to South Africa. I (and other college students, of course!) spent time working with local citizens to start up an NGO. My group chose to work with a clinic that consisted largely of orphaned children living with HIV/AIDS. Many of them could not afford the simple things we often take for granted, such as shoes and even toothbrushes. We ended up connecting the clinic with a recycling system that helped them become not only environmental stewards, but more in control of their own income. Teaching empowerment to individuals around the world through environmental sustainability is a long-term goal, and I believe this largely starts with youth.

While I’ve primarily worked with animals – at zoos, the MSPCA, and an animal hospital (never a dull moment!) – I have always had a special passion for the environment as a whole, as well as the desire to give others this sense of appreciation. I grew up in a very rural area, able to see nature up close and personal on a daily basis (Seriously! I’m talking deer, turkeys, snakes, and foxes in my backyard “serious”). During the summers, I spent my time beach-combing on the shores and in the waters of Rhode Island at my grandparents’ house. I was fortunate enough to have these kinds of experiences and I think it’s important that all young people are able to have these opportunities as well.

The harbor is an amazing resource at the fingertips of Bostonians yet so many of them don’t realize it! STH/STB’s commitment to sharing the harbor with young people is what truly sold me. Being able to see a different perspective than what is generally seen in everyday urban living can have a huge impact on a person of any age, but especially youth.

Enough blabbing… Let’s get our feet wet and get this summer started!

-Mary

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