Students Integral to Campus Sustainability Celebrated
Earth Day is around the corner and we're celebrating the amazing leadership our student interns demonstrate when it comes to a core value and pride point at UNH: sustainability. In a "campus as a living learning lab" model, student interns are having tremendous impact on UNH's sustainability initiatives.
This spring at the We 💙 Sustainability Campus Projects Showcase, student interns from a variety of majors shared their work to advance sustainability initiatives for UNH, including pollinator protection, stormwater management, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions, waste reduction, Cat Trax bike share program, the Basic Needs programs, UNH Serves, STARS, and more. Students and staff had a great time meeting and connecting with others from departments across UNH with whom they may not otherwise often cross paths and learned a lot! We were all inspired and proud of our shared community.
These student leaders continue to make real impact this spring planning educational and fun events (see the events and get involved!), and completing projects that will have impact for the long term.
Meet the 2024-25 Intern Cohort
Cat Trax Bike Share Interns
Cat Trax interns manage the bike fleet, organize community events (like bike rides and repair clinics), and spread awareness about the benefits of sustainable and affordable transportation on campus.
Donavyn Corcoran ’25, Environmental Science and Sustainability dual major
“I like having the responsibility of taking care of bikes and being able to provide a safe and accessible mode of transportation for students.”
Victoria Whitcomb ‘27, Wildlife Biology and Sustainability dual major
“I love the opportunity to help provide our community with an accessible option for sustainable transportation and pair that with really fun outreach events. I love connecting with people as passionate as I am about sustainability and biking :)”
Stormwater Interns
Stormwater interns help UNH support efforts to protect and enhance ecosystems across the UNH campus, working with the grounds and events team to ensure the UNH Campus continues to meet environmental protection standards and identify new opportunities to improve. This role involves conducting direct assessments of stormwater systems, supporting outreach initiatives, and researching improvements in campus systems to promote a sustainable environment.
Allison Kish ’27, Marine, Estuarine and Freshwater Biology and Sustainability dual major
Katie Schock ’25, Environmental Science: Hydrology major
Louis Arinello ‘26, Spanish and Sustainability dual major
Career and Professional Success/UNH Serves Intern
The Career and Professional Success/UNH Serves intern works to update the UNH Serves page to ensure better access to volunteer opportunities for the community.
Samantha Pearson ‘25, Engineering Physics major
“I am looking forward to expanding UNH Serves to invite more partners and spread awareness of the program.”
Communications & Community Building Interns
The Communications & Community Building interns help create a welcoming community where all students feel able to connect to sustainability in ways that are meaningful to them. They also help spread awareness of the wide range of sustainability-related opportunities available to them at UNH.
Catey Selby ’25, Environmental Engineering and Sustainability dual major, Sustainability Network Coordinator
“My internships give students a way to connect with their peers on sustainability issues and events, allowing for a stronger community. By providing an avenue where students can meet and learn about new sustainability related events and programs, I can be a small part to the growth of my fellow Wildcat's experience.”
Abigail Kincaid ’27, Environmental & Resource Economics and Sustainability dual major, Outreach Intern
"I love finding ways to make information about sustainability initiatives entertaining and accessible while creating community for people to find their home here at the SI."
STARS Interns
STARS interns search for, request, compile, and organize sustainability-related data from across UNH, helping to contribute to UNH’s STARS submission. They also analyze meaning behind our data so UNH can continually improve.
Catie Jantzi ‘27, Environmental Conservation and Sustainability and Business Management double major
“I love my job because I know that my work helps contribute to UNH’s strong sustainability reputation! Collaborating with like-minded individuals who value sustainability, creates a strong sense community, and shared purpose here on campus!”
Kathryn Kaufhold ‘26, Environmental Conservation and Sustainability major
“I have had the opportunity to participate in behind-the-scenes-work that deals with compiling and submitting data to the STARS report. Through this process, I have enjoyed learning about what makes UNH sustainable and where the University can improve its efforts. I like working with STARS because it holds UNH accountable for its sustainability performance, allowing for growth and opportunity that will have a positive impact on the future.”
Student interns and volunteers plant the pollinator garden at Nesmith Hall.
SPRING 2025 EVENTS
Saturday, April 12
Community Bike Ride with Cat Trax
9:30 – 10:30 am
Meet at Nesmith
Monday, April 14
Rain to Roots: Plant Make-and-Take
4 – 6 pm
MUB
Friday, April 18
Bike Repair Clinic with Cat Trax
1 – 5 pm
Fishbowl Lawn
Thursday, April 24
Community E-Waste Drive (open to UNH and Durham communities)
4:30 – 6:30 pm
Contractors Lot, Spinney Lane, Durham, NH
Saturday, April 26
Community Bike Ride with Cat Trax
9:30 – 10:30 am
Meet at Nesmith
Saturday, April 26
Earth Day Jam Fest: Interns will be tabling
2 – 6 pm
T-Hall Lawn
Friday, May 2
Pollinator Garden Planting
1:30 – 3:30 pm
UNH President’s House
Saturday, May 3
Community Bike Ride with Cat Trax
9:30 – 10:30 am
Meet at Nesmith
Saturday, May 3
Durham Bike Repair Clinic with Cat Trax
10 am – 2 pm
Durham Public Library
Student interns conduct a waste audit to help collect data which will inform improved waste practices.
Healthy Ecosystems: Pollinator Interns
Pollinator interns help organize volunteering events to maintain and create new pollinator-friendly spaces and gardens on campus. They also do outreach to educate our community about UNH’s Bee Campus Certification and the efforts to support pollinators on our campus.
Emily Abrusci ‘25, Environmental Conservation and Sustainability and EcoGastronomy dual major
“I love the freedom and creativity of leading this project, allowing me to make an impact however small on our very own campus ecosystem.”
Sabrina Bernard ‘28, Economics and Sustainability dual major
“I am looking forward to being an active member of the UNH community and learning more about the role that pollinators play in our world. I love gardening and being outside so I am very excited to complete more hands-on projects this semester!”
Gianna Giusti ‘27 Environmental Conservation and Sustainability major
“I want to help pollinators, so I like getting to take care of the gardens and help design new ones to create more habitat for them. It's nice to go out to the gardens and see bees and butterflies on the flowers.”
Zero Waste Interns
The Zero Waste interns run the Trash 2 Treasure program, keeping tons of items out of the landfill during student move out and resell usable items at the fall sale. The interns also collect data about food, recycling and trash waste on campus and reasons behind it, to help mitigate waste in the future. The E-Waste intern is also running campus-wide E-Waste collections through spring semester and helping to organize a broader community E-Waste collections day.
Trash 2 Treasure Coordinator
Benjamin Kaminski ’25 Recreation Management and Policy, Sustainability dual major,
“I like the mission behind this job and knowing that what I am doing matters. In addition, the thing I find most beneficial about this job is, that my job forces me to develop skills and abilities I never knew I needed.”
Trash 2 Treasure
Justin Wentworth ’26, Environmental Sciences major
“I love the large-scale impact that I get to have through Trash 2 Treasure. It's a lot of work but it’s very rewarding. I feel as though the functional threshold we reach of direct impact is probably the most I've ever had.”
Food Waste
Megan Kennedy ‘27, Environmental Conservation and Sustainability major
“I love that this internship provides me with real world application of researching and identifying issues that lead to more waste. It's so rewarding to actually see results from my ideas and actively see a difference being made!”
Waste Audits/Data Analysis
Erin Classey ’25, Environmental Science major
Read Erin’s Waste Audit blog here.
E-Waste
Nyssa Barrett ’27, Environmental, Conservation, and Sustainability and Justice Studies dual major
Sustainability Advocates Interns
The Sustainability Advocates interns oversee a group of students who are Sustainability Advocates in their residential halls, organizing fun social events that inspire sustainability thought and action.
Marisa Bianchi ‘26, Geography and Sustainability dual major
“I love working with my peers and fellow sustainability leaders to increase sustainability education and engage in meaningful work. I am inspired by the Advocates and their creative, innovative ideas and insights on sustainability in our community.”
Kylie Short ’27, Environmental Science: Ecosystems major
“I get to work with an amazing group of Advocates and teach people about sustainability!”
Climate and Energy Interns
The Climate and Energy Interns work to collect data from various departments including Energy, Procurement, Facilities, and Agriculture, using SIMAP to calculate UNH's carbon footprint and the GRITS tool to track the cost/benefit of energy efficiency projects on campus, contributing to UNH’s climate action plan, WildCAP.
Sofia Anestam ‘25, Environmental Engineering and Sustainability dual major
“I enjoy learning about UNH’s climate and energy initiatives and contributing to reaching the goals in our climate action plan.”
Olivia Audet, December ’24, BS Environmental Conservation and Sustainability major
“I love being a part of the sustainability community at UNH and making a difference on campus.”
