Board Member, Emma Thomas

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved being outdoors, especially near the coasts of North Carolina and Massachusetts.  I used to spend countless hours playing with my cousins on the beach, collecting shells, and watching the tides ebb and flow.

In college, I majored in Environmental Science to gain a better understanding of the changing world around me.  I volunteered with MassPIRG (Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group) to clean-up the Connecticut River and teach students about the importance of water and air quality.  After graduation, I interned with the NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research in Beaufort, NC, where my research focused on local salt marshes and seagrasses.  To further my education, I completed a two-year masters program at Duke University in Coastal Environmental Management, focusing on creating GIS maps to protect sensitive benthic habitats in southeastern Florida from cruise ship sewage discharge.  

Currently, I am a contractor in the Fort Eustis Environmental Division, as support for Environmental Management System (EMS), helping organize objectives and targets for three environmental management teams.  I also volunteer in the education department at the Nauticus Aquarium in Norfolk.

My passion is working with people of all ages and from all communities.  I joined Wetlands Watch, Inc. to become more involved in the local community and learn more about the potential effects of global warming and sea level rise on wetlands.