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Student Summer Adventures: Lily Porter '19 & the Bald Head Island Conservancy

Chatham Hall
Lily Porter '19 spent her summer working with the Bald Head Island Conservancy to educate citizens throughout the Outer Banks of North Carolina about the important role that sharks play in the costal ecosystem. We sat down with Lily to learn more about how she spent her summer.
So, what exactly were you doing this summer? Give us an overview of the work you did, and who you were working for.
"This summer I had the opportunity to give educational presentations about shark conservation, safety, and breeding around North Carolina. The Bald Head Island Conservancy was kind enough to allow me to give these presentations and hand out programs. I first thought I would be giving these presentations to kids that do the camps but actually it was for all the senior interns, walk-ins and workers, along with the North Carolina fishing department head, and the head scientist at the conservancy who I worked under. I would say I worked for the conservancy but actually I did most of my work under  Dr. Poul, a marine biologist from Sweden."

What was your favorite part of the experience?
"My favorite part of this experience was having the opportunity to share information with people around North Carolina. Shark conservation is a topic many do not know about, mainly because of the damaging image of sharks portrayed in the media.Teaching these people about how amazing they are and why they are important made me feel like I made an impact. Answering questions and providing resources was definitely my favorite part."
 
What is one takeaway from the summer that you will never forget?
"It’s hard to pinpoint one takeaway from this experience because I learned and soaked in so much, but, if I had to choose, it would be learning how to speak in front of pros in their field and teach them something they missed. My public speaking skills defiantly improved every time I gave a presentation. I will also never forget having to speak about the recent shark attacks around the area and being able to defend the sharks. I also realized my age does not matter. As long as I put all my effort into my work people will respect what I have to say. I was concerned about being a 16 year old giving presentations to experienced biologists, but they didn't care. The community was honestly just glad to see someone having an interest."
 
How do you plan on using what you've learned in the future?
"I hope to pursue independent study on shark research at Chatham, and, with the help of an iQuest, to go out and dive with sharks. I now know how  to  construct an educational slide show, and how to present it with all of the facts. I definitely hope I will be able to use all these skills as I move forward in my studies. This summer defiantly was my growth spurt in being an activist for what I love."

Do you plan on continuing to study what you've learned in the future?
"I very much plan on continuing my role at the conservancy. I was offered a full internship for the whole summer next year, and would be the youngest intern to ever work at the conservancy. I also plan on continuing my ambassadorship with One Ocean Diving to help support my claims, and be able to work for them. In reality, I hope to use everything I have learned about ocean conservation for the rest of my life, it is what is important to me and obviously important to others. I believe my generation is the one to impact environment studies and growth. I see change every time I educate people about ocean conservation. Even though I am young, and living in Chatham, Virginia, I can still make an impact on the 70% of our planet covered by water, which, for me, is the best lesson."
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800 Chatham Hall Circle  •  Chatham, VA 24531
+1 434.432.2941  •  admissions@chathamhall.org
Day and boarding school for girls grades 9-12 in the Episcopal tradition.

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