Virtual Environmentalism: URI junior works on blueprint for watershed management KINGSTON, R.I. — October 8, 1998– “Since the future of wildlife and the ecosystems that make up our environment depends on our current actions, it is imperative that we work to protect them now,” says Amy Mocarsky from East Greenwich, R.I., a junior at the University of Rhode Island. While extremists of this school of thought may sometimes be discovered chained to trees, Mocarsky often finds herself amiably tied to a desk. Mocarsky, an environmental management major, is assisting a number of interested Rhode Island organizations in their attempt to develop a framework of coordinated watershed management. “This statewide ‘watershed approach’ will be a blueprint for inter-agency and community collaborative management of Rhode Island’s watersheds,” she says. By gathering data and opinions from each of the in-state environmental groups, as well as the approaches and results of similar initiatives in other states, Mocarsky is helping to develop a coordinated watershed management plan. The paper is slated for completion this fall. Mocarsky is involved in this project as a fellow for URI’s Partnership for the Coastal Environment, an eight-month program that incorporates students into the research and outreach work of the professors and research staff of the university. She is working with Margaret Kerr, a marine research associate from the Coastal Resources Center at the Graduate School of Oceanography. The Coastal Fellowship Program combines a structured, prestigious undergraduate experience with the resources and talents of the public and private sectors. While gaining the skills as well as the contacts that will ensure their success, students build the confidence needed to perform on the job before they enter the job market. Fellows also receive a stipend for the work over the summer. “Now that I’m getting more than just virtual understanding from a textbook, I’ve developed a great amount of respect for wildlife and nature as a whole,” says Mocarsky. “And, I’ve also met many people who have jobs that I would love to see myself in after graduating from college!” x-x-x For More Information: Jhodi Redlich (401) 874-2116