Karlie Moriarty

Hi there! My name is Karlie Moriarty, an aspiring environmental scientist based in Granby, MA. I'm currently attending Holyoke Community College, where I’ll start my sophomore year as of Fall of 2023. I plan to transfer to UMass Amherst or Cornell University once I receive my associate's, where I'll then continue pursuing a major in Environmental Science in addition to a minor in Entomology. Agronomy, botany, zoology, geology.. you name it, I love it! Ever since I was young- from visiting national parks to catching bugs in my backyard- l've always resonated with nature and its respective sciences.

Exploring my interests throughout the years has been an exciting journey, going from collecting quantitative tree data for Holyoke's Urban Forest Equity Plan (UFEP); to collaborating with Elizabeth Breton, the Dean of the STEM department at Holyoke Community college, regarding independent studies on the genealogy of black swallowtail coloration during overwintering periods and chromatography of hematophagous mushrooms toxins to combat beech leaf disease.

I was introduced first-hand to the laborious life of agriculture during my first job at Dickinson's Farm, where I worked long hours managing greenhouse plants and blueberry fields under the mentorship of local farmers. My involvement there ultimately kick started a curiosity around agricultural ecology and sustainability. Since then, I’ve become president of the Sustainability Club at my college and am actively involved in the resuscitation of our garden, which fell victim to invasive weeds, disease, and litter after years of inactivity. While I only had the availability to attend a month's session, my time as an REEU intern has allowed me to become more well-versed around food production strategies that I am excitedly prepared to implement into future projects. Overall, I am very thankful for both the opportunity and the scholars and coordinators who made this experience unforgettable.