Keara is a rising junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she is majoring in environmental science, with a minor in natural resource conservation. While she enjoys reading and writing, ultimately it was her passion for the outdoors that led her to choose environmental science as a major. Through more focussed coursework, she decided to tailor her studies around fresh-water conservation and management. This interest is what led her to join AdkAction for the summer as our Tom Boothe Adirondack Intern, working with our Clean Water, Safe Roads partnership. 

Over the next ten weeks, Keara will focus on designing a campaign to help change the way road salt is used in the Adirondacks. Currently, road salt is not only polluting important ecosystems by leaching into soils and water bodies, but it also pollutes much of the community’s drinking water. Keara hopes to address this problem over the summer through quality testing and public outreach, in the hopes of keeping roads safe for drivers while also ensuring a cleaner water supply. 

The project represents a push towards unity between people and natural ecosystems. This is the goal at the heart of the Clean Water, Safe Roads campaign. Keara will be working over the summer to make sure that this message reaches both municipalities and drivers, so that come winter road salt pollution is less of a burden on the water supply. She plans on putting the experience gained through this internship in communications and in environmental testing to good use upon her graduation from Umass Amherst in 2025.

Having lived in Massachusetts her entire life, Keara is excited for this opportunity to work and study in a new place. The Tom Boothe Internship is committed to helping interns explore the natural beauty of the region, and she looks forward to going on many hikes. When not working, Keara enjoys writing, practicing karate, and spending time with friends.