By Shannon Garrick ’17
Over the summer, Julieanna Herriven, a Catawba College junior majoring in Environmental Education and Science, was one of five education interns at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores in Atlantic Beach, N.C.
This internship, which was from May to August, allowed Herriven to have experience in environmental education first-hand. Her favorite moment during the summer was getting the opportunity to hold an eastern screech owl with gloves on.
During her time at the N.C. Aquarium, Herriven presented shows including live feedings, dive programs, and encounters with animals. Some of the live encounters and feedings included turtles, sharks, and snakes. Along with these presentations, she also performed other job duties, such as feeding the animals, giving enrichment/training to the animals, and cleaning up after the animals. In addition to the presenting the shows and performing job duties, Herriven was able to shadow other caretakers at the aquarium including those who work with amphibians, reptiles, and otters.
After completing this internship, Herriven plans on getting her certification in environmental education and working in environmental education through aquariums and zoos. She also plans on incorporating her newly found skills into Environment Catawba Outreach (ECO), an on-campus organization which she serves as president of this year.
