"Long Island Sound is a precious liquid asset. It is so attractive as an estuarine ecosystem that it has served as a magnet in attracting millions of people to live around it and partake of its abundant resources. However, ecosystems have a limited carrying capacity and that of Long Island Sound is no exception…."
Dr. William A. Niering
From the Long Island Sound Conservation Blueprint

Long Island Sound simply put is the "American Mediterranean". Over 24 million people live within 50 miles of its shores, about 10 percent of the entire U.S. population. From a more economic standpoint, the Sound is a tremendous resource that provides more than $5 billion annually to the local economies. Unfortunately, increasing population and encroaching development have resulted in estuarine habitat loss and degradation. Over the past hundred years, more than one-third of the Sound's tidal wetland has been lost. Vast expanses of eelgrass beds, that were once commonplace in Long Island Sound, have almost completely vanished. Existing coastal grasslands and forests represent only a small fraction of the original habitat.

Since the mid-1960s, increasing state and federal regulations have slowed the degradation and habitat loss in the Sound. During the same period however, pollution and non-native species continued to degrade the Long Island Sound ecosystem. Countless studies have illustrated over the last 35 years that without the preservation of significant habitats and restoration of degraded habitats, the Long Island Sound ecosystem will ultimately become unsustainable. These concerns fueled the birth of Save the Sound in 1972.

Save the Sound is a bi-state, non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration, protection and appreciation of Long Island Sound and its watershed through education, research and advocacy. Save the Sound is commonly recognized as one of the nation's most effective regional environmental organizations. The organization has given concerned citizens in Connecticut and New York a powerful stake in the political processes that will ultimately determine the fate of Long Island Sound.

My internship provided me a unique opportunity to examine and participate in the interplay between public policy, ecology, politics and community-based activism. I worked as a policy intern with Save the Sound's policy analyst Tracy Egoscue, Esq. My experiences this summer without a doubt gave me valuable first-hand knowledge that I will apply in my post-Connecticut College life.

I interned at Save the Sound two days a week beginning on June 5th and ending on August 8th. I was responsible for a variety of office tasks including talking to concerned citizens, reading and responding to mail and of course making copies. My internship also gave me the opportunity to meet and learn from other members of the Stamford Save the Sound office including educators, researchers, naturalists and habitat restoration specialists.
During the summer, I also completed several large research projects while interning at Save the Sound. Many of these projects involved a great deal of independent research and traveling. More specifically, I researched the ever-changing intricacies of various types of conservation easements, state and federal land acquisition grant programs and coastal zone management policies as they relate to New York and Connecticut. During my internship, I also compiled an updated listing of information on the fauna, flora and natural history of Long Island Sound. Lastly, I updated Save the Sound's resources and contact lists for the local, state and federal levels.

My internship at Save the Sound this summer was extremely rewarding. The grant gave me the opportunity to work in a field I am passionate about, while at the same time gaining experience for my senior thesis as well as later in life. I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me by The Goodwin-Niering Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies.