COA Welcomes Three Interns for Summer 2012!

 

From left to right: Krista Barone, Joanna Simon and Jonathan Panico

 

COA Beach Sweeps Intern: Krista Barone

Good day to each of my fellow ocean advocates! My name is Krista Barone, and I am honored to be able to introduce myself as Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweep intern for the summer of 2012. I grew up in a small shore town on Barnegat Bay and have had a deep love for all nature, both inland and marine, for as long as my memory has served me. My initial experience with Clean Ocean Action began in the winter of 2009. I joined the pilot year of COA’s Student Ocean Advocates program in Ocean County and helped educate the public on eutrophication and its effects on the marine environment. I remained with SOA as a co-chair until 2011, after which I graduated high school and continued to further my education, pursuing a dual degree in Biology and Chemistry at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.

As COA’s Beach Sweeps Intern, I organize the data collected by volunteers from all 70 Sweeps sites. At each site, volunteers keep track of the number and type of marine debris that they collect. I have been inputting this data into the Beach Sweeps database. It is from this data that the Annual Beach Sweeps Report is compiled.

I also assist in leading the Corporate Beach Sweep programs on Sandy Hook. Corporate groups as small as 15 and as large as 150 volunteers participate. In addition to these larger responsibilities, I work with other members of the COA crew on our upcoming Tour for the Shore.

It is exciting to have the opportunity to pass on knowledge of the coastal ecosystem to those people who have not been fortunate enough to experience it! I look forward to an exciting summer of education and advocacy with Clean Ocean Action!

 C.O.A.S.T. Intern: Joanna Simon

Summer is here, and so is the start of our 23rd annual C.O.A.S.T. (Clean Ocean Action Shore Tips) campaign! My name is Joanna Simon and I would like to introduce myself to you as this season’s 2012 C.O.A.S.T. coordinator. I am currently a senior at Tulane University in New Orleans studying environmental science, and I am very excited to pursue my studies in environmental issues with Clean Ocean Action this summer!

Growing up in Monmouth County has given me a great appreciation for our coastal waterways. Whether surfing, kayaking, swimming or just going to the beach, I definitely take advantage of the many opportunities that we have here at the Jersey Shore. In the upcoming months, I plan on taking this appreciation and harnessing it towards a summer of activism with COA!

A major component of my C.O.A.S.T. internship is organizing information and action tables at beaches in Monmouth and Ocean counties throughout July and August. These tabling events are a great way for volunteers to participate with COA and take action for a cleaner ocean! As a new or seasoned volunteer, it is very important that you attend one of the two volunteer update sessions—“Pizza Parties with a Purpose.” Come enjoy a night of pizza, ocean empowerment, and meeting other volunteers!

Please let me know if you will be attending one of these two sessions:

• Wednesday, June 20, 7:00-9:00 PM, Sea Bright Public Library
• Thursday, June 21, 7:00-9:00 PM, Jenkinson’s Aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach (entrance to the aquarium is free for COA volunteers!)

It only takes a few hours to be a part of this amazing effort! Each volunteer will receive a complimentary T-shirt, enjoy a day at the beach, and feel great about being a part of the solution to ocean pollution. I look forward to working with you on an important campaign to protect both the ocean and the shore.  To RSVP for a Pizza Party or participate in COAST, please call me at (732) 872-0111 or email me at Coast@CleanOceanAction.org.

 Science and Policy Intern: Jonathan Panico

My name is Jonathan Panico and I have the privilege to introduce myself as Clean Ocean Action’s Science and Policy Intern for the summer of 2012. I recently finished my 1L year at Pace University School of Law, and I attended my undergraduate at Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2010 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Public Policy. During the year before I went to Pace, I worked at Y.M.C.A. Camp Mason teaching outdoor education classes. I have also worked with the Meadowlands Environmental Commission teaching environmental education classes and done studies on the effects of hydraulic fracturing in the Catskill Mountains as well as the ground water supply in Sussex County. While I am originally from the northern part of Sussex County (near Mountain Creek for those less familiar with the area), I have always loved the ocean and especially cherish my experiences snorkeling in the coral reefs in the Florida Keys and working in salt marshes and estuaries here in New Jersey.

As the Science and Policy Intern, I will be researching and developing issue papers and advocacy summaries that concern COA’s key policy campaigns and issues. In addition, I will also be constructing a report concerning the current state of the New Jersey/ New York Bight that will be used to frame the importance of the area as an economic, environmental, and cultural hotspot. I look forward to aiding with these initiatives and hope that I will have the opportunity to interact and meet with some of you over the course of the summer!