Elizabeth Kroger, a Master of Environmental Management student, spent her summer as a Caribbean climate resilience intern with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Kroger is concentrating in Coastal and Marine Systems as well as Community Engagement and Environmental Justice. 

Each year, Nicholas School of the Environment students complete internships with organizations around the world. These summer experiences provide valuable opportunities to gain career-related experience and build a professional network. 

Duke Environment recently caught up with Kroger to learn more about her experience. 

What aspects of the experience did you find most rewarding or memorable and why?

Informational poster titled 鈥淩estoring Blocked Mangrove Creeks in The Bahamas,鈥 showing a comparison of healthy and unhealthy mangroves, illustrations of creek impacts, and solutions like bridge building and sediment removal.

The most rewarding aspect of this experience was getting to teach myself an entirely new tool: Adobe Illustrator. I have no formal graphic design background but have always enjoyed drawing and was asked to create a large-scale poster communicating the concept of mangrove creek restoration to Bahamian communities.

I created a digitized watercolor of an aerial blocked mangrove creek and layered text and graphics on top to communicate the ecosystem services mangroves provide, the problem of blocked creeks, and the restoration solution.

Collaborating with government agencies and nonprofits in the Bahamas was also fulfilling, as incorporating everyone鈥檚 ideas and feedback made the poster clear and culturally relevant. I am excited for the poster to be put up in 100 locations across the Bahamas!

How did the coursework and resources at the Nicholas School prepare you for success in this role as well as your internship search?

顿耻办别鈥檚 Stanback Fellowship program made this internship possible. The Nicholas School鈥檚 Career and Professional Development Center staff helped review my cover letter and resume and select the most important experiences to include, greatly improving my application.

Additionally, I had access to an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription through Duke, allowing me to make my science communication materials as professional and engaging as possible during the internship.

Group of seven people, including one holding a small dog, smiling in front of an Environmental Defense Fund sign in an office.

How has this internship influenced your career aspirations? Did it confirm or change your professional goals in any way?

I have been interested in working on EDF鈥檚 Fisheries and Oceans team for many years, so this internship was a great chance for me to meet staff who I would be interested in working with in the future and learn more about EDF. I especially enjoyed going into the office, which confirmed my interest in finding an in-person job.

However, given that my internship was desk-based, I also learned that a role involving direct interaction with projects, whether that be through community engagement or field work, is something I want to prioritize in my job search.

I am grateful to have had the chance to spend the summer developing knowledge about mangrove ecosystems and their restoration and hope to implement it in the field in the future!