Intern Reflections
What a summer! Going into May we knew that we had a lot of work looming and a short amount of time to get it done. Fortunately we found the perfect team of interns to make it happen. Avery, Curtis, and Molly tackled eelgrass monitoring in Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth Bays; saltmarsh surveys at ten sites from Scituate to Kingston; invasive species monitoring at seven harbors and rocky shorelines; blue mussel survey at 3rd and 4th cliffs; seven rounds of RiverWatch sampling; plus support for our Greenscapes program; various fundraiser events; and whatever else we threw at them on any given day. Not only did they get all of the physical work done, but they also kept up with the data analysis for all of the projects mentioned plus the horseshoe crab and river herring monitoring. We really can’t say enough about the great work these three accomplished for NSRWA this summer. We miss them already!
Avery Sands Intern Reflection
As the summer comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on my time as an intern with the North and South Rivers Watershed Association. From field work and sampling to data entry and public outreach, I truly enjoyed every moment.
When I started this internship, I hoped to gain hands-on experience addressing local environmental issues. Since my research projects at Trinity College mainly focus on the analysis of heavy metal concentrations in urban ponds, I was excited to participate in something new and personally meaningful. Surveying marshes near my home and monitoring the docks and beaches that I explored as a child made me feel deeply connected to my community. 
I especially enjoyed the RiverWatch Water Quality Sampling project. Our team worked with volunteers to collect water samples from ten sites along the North and South Rivers. This summer, we implemented a new sample processing procedure, which involved lab work at the Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research (CSCR). One of my first tasks as an intern was researching our new sampling techniques and writing a Quality Assurance Protection Plan. Developing this plan and putting it into practice for the RiverWatch project was extremely rewarding. Additionally, I was able to see first-hand the importance and value of citizen science in environmental research.
It’s almost hard to put into words how meaningful this experience has been for me. As an NSRWA intern, I’ve revisited the places around the North and South Rivers that made me want to pursue environmental science. Working with such an amazing group of people who dedicate their lives to the conservation and preservation of our local environment has only strengthened my commitment to making a difference in this field. I’d especially like to thank Alex and Sam, my fellow interns Molly and Curtis, as well as Lori, Claudia, Becky, Joe, Beth, Kezia, Brian, and all of the NSRWA staff and volunteers. It was an incredible summer and I look forward to helping out with the NSRWA’s efforts in the future!
Molly Ryan Intern Reflection
As an intern at NSRWA, I have had an incredible summer conducting field work, collaborating with local organizations and volunteers, and gaining insight into the operations and meaningful work of a non-profit environmental organization. It was a privilege to spend my days outside, working to protect the natural resources within my community.
Witnessing the collaboration between NSRWA and local organizations and scientists was inspiring. For example, during our salt marsh surveys in June and July, several students from Scituate High School joined us. As a Scituate High School graduate, it was a full circle moment to help foster environmental engagement amongst younger students.
A highlight of the internship was leading the eelgrass surveying project in August. This project required coordination and reliance on volunteers. Volunteer boat captains took the interns to Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth harbor to survey for eelgrass using underwater camera equipment. It was exciting to actively discover how eelgrass populations have changed over the past year. While I was initially intimidated to collect data from over 100 sites, through Alex Mansfield’s guidance and support of my co-interns, we were able to gather data at almost all of the sites. Through further data analysis our results were compelling: there was a net positive change in eelgrass populations since 2023.
I also loved feeling connected to my community during our RiverWatch water quality monitoring. Every two weeks, we gathered water samples from 10 different sites in Scituate, Marshfield, Norwell, and Hanover. Then, we utilized lab equipment at the Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research (CSCR) to process the water samples and read and report the bacteria levels. Having spent several of my high school summers researching at CSCR, this was a nostalgic and uplifting experience.
Ultimately, no day at NSRWA was the same. Our daily tasks relied on weather and tides, bringing unpredictability and excitement. I am deeply grateful to Samantha Woods and Alex Mansfield for creating an inviting work environment and providing endless advice and support, boosting my confidence in research and data analysis. While NSRWA is a small organization, its impact is profound. This experience has deepened my appreciation for local nonprofits, and I will always cherish the lessons I learned during my time here.
Curtis Waisgerber Intern Reflection 2024
As the summer with NSRWA comes to an end, I can take a moment to sit back and really reflect on my time as an intern and how amazing it was.
When I first got to NSRWA, in the middle of May, I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of projects we were scheduled to do and I wasn’t very sure how we’d get them all done before leaving in August, but we came together and were able to tackle them all with ease. These projects included doing vegetation surveys at saltmarshes all around the watershed, invasive species surveys at docks and jetties, water quality monitoring and testing in the watershed, monitoring blue mussels at third and fourth cliff in Scituate, MA, and surveying eelgrass in Plymouth Harbor and Duxbury Bay, all of which were amazing.
My favorite project we worked on was our eelgrass surveys in Plymouth Harbor and Duxbury Bay. With this project, we took boats out into the bay and harbor and used underwater cameras attached to a quadrat to try and find eelgrass at predetermined locations. We would send the camera down to the bottom of the bay at four corners of the boat and get a live feed to a computer that was connected to the camera. If we determined there was more than 30% eelgrass in the quadrat, then we would dive down to get samples to measure and check for wasting disease. It was a little cold sometimes, but it was amazing being under the water with eelgrass all around me. Being on the water and doing meaningful research with people who share the same passions as me was extremely rewarding and I also loved working with and getting to know a bunch of different captains who volunteered their time to help us get this project done in record timing.
This internship has meant the world to me and I am so grateful for my time spent at NSRWA. I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do after school, but after seeing a group with such commitment and enthusiasm helping preserve the beautiful ecosystems of the watershed around us, I can see myself doing the same with other places around the US and maybe the world. I want to thank Alex Mansfield and Samantha Woods for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization, my fellow interns Avery and Molly, and Lori, Claudia, Becky, Joe, Beth, Kezia, Brian, and all of the NSRWA staff and volunteers. It was such an amazing summer and I can’t wait to be back as a volunteer next year!
Reflections on Past Internships
2023 Intern Reflections by Patrick Scott
2023 Intern Reflections by Isaac Mann
Intern Reflection 2023 by Molly Frattasio
2022 Intern Reflections by Grace Berthiaume
Taylor Czybora 2022 Intern Reflections
2022 Intern Reflections By Bryce Lacombe
Intern Reflections By Lee
2021 Intern Reflections By Olivia Freud
Reflections on My Summer with NSRWA by Drew Martin
Reflections by Andrew Staley, 2018 Summer Intern
2017 Summer Interns Provide Invaluable Help to NSRWA
Meet Our Winter Intern Tess Walter
Summer Interns Provide Invaluable Resources to NSRWA
Nicole Gallup’s Internship Overview
Natalie Pitman Internship Overview
“My internship taught me that a huge part working in the environmental field is talking to people, making connections and educating the public… I couldn’t think of a better way of spending my summer this year. I am so thankful for getting these real-world experiences and gaining so much knowledge along the way.” ~ Kate McCarthy, NSRWA intern
