Hello everyone! My name is Sydney Sherbitsky (she/her) and I am excited to join the Severson Dells team as an Environmental Education AmeriCorps member! I’m from Long Island, New York, so I am looking forward to experiencing the beauty of the Midwest and its changing seasons for the first time.

I graduated this past spring from Stony Brook University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies as well as minors in coastal studies and urban planning. My studies have allowed me to deepen my experiences in the natural world where I studied abroad in Ecuador, led the Stony Brook Environmental Club, and conducted ecotoxicology research.

My curiosity for nature began at a young age, with my family frequently visiting local parks and nature centers. This early spark carried into young adulthood, where I took a high school hands-on environmental science class that explained environmental complexities I could observe outside and fueled my passion to pursue an environmental career.

As an environmental educator, I believe that people can’t care about what they don’t know about, so I’m excited to help bridge that gap and ignite new curiosity for the natural world in others.

While I am in the Midwest I would like to explore the many conservation areas nearby, but when I’m not at Severson Dells or hiking you can find me catching up with friends and family, embroidering, painting, or reading.

I look forward to learning with you all soon!