BCWC’s new AmeriCorps Service member Colleen Lucey hails from Derry, New Hampshire. After studying psychology and minoring in environmental studies at Stonehill College in eastern Massachusetts, Colleen decided to join AmeriCorps. “I knew that I wanted to do something that included field work, and AmeriCorps made sense.”

Colleen’s work with BCWC focuses on water sampling. Her days include going out with Field Operations Manager Meg Materne along the Marstons Mills River to test for nitrogen, temperature, velocity, and specific conductance. “I never knew that it could be such a problem for septic systems to leak, and the negative impact they could have on the environment,” Colleen shared. “There have definitely been a few close calls [walking along the river] because of how slippery the rocks are,” Colleen told us, laughing. She went on to talk about how she was excited to learn about bioreactors that BCWC put in a cranberry bog and how those help to reduce nitrogen flow.

While she is here, Colleen is excited to be able to travel to new places on the Cape and explore new spots. When asked about her future, Colleen confirmed that she wants to pursue working in the environmental field. “I’ve always been interested in humans’ connection to their environment. I’m definitely more centered around environmental work in the future.” We are excited to have Colleen on our team this year!