Conservation Apprenticeship

Empowering the Next Generation of Conservationists

Westchester Land Trust’s conservation apprenticeship program is designed to offer high school graduates and college students an authentic paid experience to explore and pursue careers in conservation.

In particular, the program focuses on welcoming young people who may otherwise feel excluded from conservation work due to race, socioeconomic status, and geography.

Thank you to the many individual donors and organizational funders that support this program and our future conservationists!

2024

Elisabeth Carpinelli

Elisabeth maintains and improves WLT’s preserves through invasive species removal, habitat restoration, and infrastructure management. Prior to WLT, she worked for Westmoreland Sanctuary and Greenburgh Nature Center, where she maintained preserves, cared for animals, and connected the community with wildlife and conservation. She is attending the University of Rhode Island, pursuing dual majors in wildlife and conservation biology and animal science, with a passion for avian ecology and conservation. In her free time, Elisabeth enjoys all things outdoors, namely hiking, kayaking, birding, and long walks with her foster dogs!

Meghan Majewski

Meghan works to manage invasive species and restore habitats at WLT’s preserves. Previously, she participated in volunteer conservation projects in her community and worked in a greenhouse helping research various marsh grasses. She is a rising junior year at the University of Rhode Island, where she studies environmental science with a minor in Spanish. Meghan is interested in pursuing research in wildlife ecology and hopes to travel and explore different environments. She is from Tappan, New York and in her free time she enjoys watching movies, relaxing at the beach, and going to concerts.

Ellery Zych

Ellery is studying environmental science and policy at Smith College. Having grown up in Weston, Connecticut, she has a lifelong interest in New England ecology and wildlife. She hopes to use her career to restore sustainable ecosystems for the health and enrichment of both nature and people. In the past, she has interned as an interpretive guide for Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo and Sherwood Island State Park. One of her favorite aspects of this field is the opportunity to learn how to identify the plants and animals around her. She aspires to have a garden of her own she can restore into a native plant haven.

2023

Prawravee (Gigi) Pothiwit

Gigi is an alumna of Groundwork Hudson Valley’s Green Tam, where she first began her journey with sustainability and conservation during her high school years. After leaving that program, she continued to search for ways to gain experience within the environmental field and was excited to continue her journey as a conservation apprentice at WLT.

Gigi has lived in Yonkers all her life and was eager to learn more about urban conservation during her time at WLT in order to find ways to help her city and similar urban communities. During her apprenticeship, she was a rising sophomore studying at Binghamton University with plans to major in environmental science.

Alex Warren

Alex appreciated that every day as a conservation apprentice was a unique experience that included learning about various aspects of conservation and the different skill sets needed for the profession. During her apprenticeship, Alex was a second-year landscape architecture student at Pennsylvania State University. She is interested in sustainability, urban design, and environmental social justice. She is an active member of the National Organization for Minority Architect Students (NOMAS) and participated in a design competition to create a space in Portland, Oregon that perpetuates a progressive and unified community.

During her free time, Alex deeply enjoys listening to live music, spending time with loved ones, and traveling to new cities.

2022

Christian Fierek

Christian graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a BA in biology and during his studies, he discovered an interest in the environment and environmental science. He aspires to work in either a fieldwork or laboratory setting, but most importantly wishes to gain the hands-on experience required to advance his knowledge and discover his niche and passion. He was excited that this apprenticeship would take him one step further toward his goals and serve as a fun and exciting learning experience.

Brianna Rodriguez

Brianna first garnered a love for conservation while working on Groundwork Hudson Valley’s Green Team. During that time, she traveled to Yellowstone National Park to install bear boxes in campsites and collect data to monitor dragonfly populations in the park. She has also participated in the initiative for solutions to environmental concerns like flooding and the urban heat island effect, which impact her hometown of Yonkers. During her apprenticeship, she graduated from Yonkers Middle High School and planned to attend SUNY New Paltz and major in environmental studies.