Member Bios

Emily is from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She majored in Environmental Sciences and minored in French at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is interested in water quality and the issue of drinking water. She has interned at the Woods Hole Research Center, studying the coastal pond Oyster Pond. She has measured many water quality parameters on Oyster Pond, including water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, absorbance, as well as nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Emily has also been a camp counselor for 6 summers with children ages 6-13, and she has worked as a Resident Assistant for two years working to build community and educate college students living in the residence halls. Emily loves hiking, swimming, and biking. In her spare time she also loves photography. One day Emily hopes to improve water in ecosystems as well as find ways to provide potable water for people.

After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelors Degree in Wildlife Conservation, Ryan Pennesi is excited to be an environmental educator and crew leader with the SCA Massachusetts Forests and Parks Americorps program this year. Ryan grew up in Central Massachusetts, where he discovered his passion for nature and all wild things. During the past summer he worked as a residential crew leader for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and lived in the Green Mountains of Vermont for 7 weeks! In addition to trail work, Ryan has worked as a Tour Guide, Animal Handler, and Presenter for Animal Adventures Exotic Zoo and Rescue Center. He has had the opportunity to wrestle American Alligators, feed baby Coatis, scratch behind the ears of a Canadian Lynx, and play with Ring-tail Lemurs! Ryan is passionate about animals and would love to share stories about his experience as a zoo employee. On a typical day you may find Ryan exploring the forest, playing soccer, throwing the disk with friends, or playing some jazz on his trumpet.

Brenna Taylor is a 23-year-old Northeast Ohio native, exploring Western Massachusetts for the first time. After a sweaty and pontoon-filled three months with the SCA and the Army Corps of Engineers in Nashville, Tennessee, she is happily moving onto the SCA Massachusetts Parks program. Since graduating from Hiram College in 2011, Brenna has taught art to preschoolers, worked and lived on a small herb farm, and taught farm and gardening classes at a summer camp. She loves to laugh, bike, learn and explore new places. She’s looking forward to exploring the great Hawley frontier with her new family of dynamic and beautiful people, as well as engaging and sharing her love for the outdoors with the local kiddos.

Alex Nawrot is a New Jersey native who recently graduated from Boston University with a degree in Environmental Science. She has worked as a children's program coordinator at Rutgers University's Botanical Garden where she organized a community vegetable garden for local urban youth groups. She also spent a summer as a research assistant at an agricultural research farm specializing in pepper and tomato hybrids. Her current interests include water resource management and bio-remediation. Alex plans on attending graduate school and continuing her education in water diplomacy.

Lauren grew up the woods of northern Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2011 with an environmental degree. After graduation, she worked as a Teacher Assistant at the Greenspire School, a middle school focused on project-based learning and the environment. During the past three summers she was an Interpretive Park Ranger at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where she particularly enjoyed working with school groups and Junior Rangers. She is passionate about the environment and loves being outdoors. Some of her favorite activities are backpacking, skiing, traveling, photography, cooking and running.