Olivia Castañeda ’20 visited with students in Assistant Professor Susan Hammerly's Conservation Biology course on March 3 in Park Hall. Castañeda graduated with a bachelor's degree in zoology and came back to campus to discuss the importance of getting involved in conservation organizations such as the Student Conservation Association (SCA). She spoke about her time at Oswego and its impact on her current career. “My time at Oswego was super valuable. I feel like it gave me so many experiences to be able to pursue the career that I wanted,” Castañeda said. During her time at Oswego she was involved throughout campus as a member of the Outdoors Club, a Laker Leader, a resident assistant and a front desk attendant at the fitness centers. Castañeda also spoke about her time studying abroad in Tanzania. “That left an impression on me because I saw how those people grew up with their land and grew up respecting it,” she said. “That’s something that I felt I could bring back to my local area.” In large part, her presentation encouraged student participation in programs such as the SCA and the Excelsior Conservation Corps (ECC). She stressed the importance of these programs not only for their conservation of the environment but also for the hands-on experience that can be so vital when pursuing a career in this field. Castañeda worked as a conservation crew member with the ECC in 2021, and her most recent work was as an ecosystem steward and education assistant with the SCA Hudson Valley Corps. During her work with the SCA Hudson Valley Corps she learned about invasive species management, trail impact mitigation, ecological monitoring projects and volunteer recruitment. Unfortunately, support for some of these programs is lacking. “The ECC was disbanded because it didn’t have enough support,” she said. “They weren’t able to get enough people to do it and they weren’t able to run it. That means that these projects do not get done. These organizations are not immune to extinction.” She ended her presentation with some final tips encouraging students to consider exploring conservation work once they graduate as well as some advice for their current endeavors. “Remember what brought you here, remember what your passion is and let that drive you,” Castañeda said.
~Ariana St. Hilaire ’23