Environmental Monitoring Intern: Josephine Hill-James

08.04.16

Josephine Hill-James is an Environmental Monitoring Intern this summer. She is working on a project analyzing the soil in a forested area of Freshkills Park to examine how the health of the soil can demonstrate the resilience of the park’s ecosystems.

What is your name and title?

My name is Josephine Hill-James and I am an environmental monitoring intern.

What are you working on?

I am working on a project analyzing the soil in the North Park section of Freshkills Park. I’m interested in the health of the forest area there and how it has developed. The forest site is off mound, so it is not growing on top of the capped landfill infrastructure. The site has not become a fully developed forest yet, so I think it’s important to examine the soil now and in the future as an indicator of the site’s development over time. Studying the organisms and DNA found in soil samples will help researchers at Freshkills Park determine how healthy the soil is. The health of the soil will demonstrate how resilient the ecosystems at Freshkills Park are after decades of the site’s use as a landfill.

What drew you to Freshkills Park?

I was drawn to Freshkills Park because I am interested in how human-constructed systems interact with ecology. I think the restoration at Freshkills Park is incredible in the sense that it is reinventing the way human systems affect the Freshkills Park ecosystem.

Favorite color?

I like all colors except for orange and fuchsia.

Tags: environment, Freshkills Park Faces, internship