Science and Research Intern: Kaitlyn Brudecki
Kaitlyn Brudecki is a Science and Research Intern for the Freshkills Park project. She grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn then later moved to Middle Village, Queens. She studies Aquaculture at the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School.
What are you working on?
Most of my work is aquaculture-related. For example, I am currently working on an aquaculture protocol for Ribbed Mussels. I think it is interesting because from what I have learned in school, aquaculture is mainly used for profit and farming, whereas Freshkills Park is using it to improve their park and possibly use the information and research for future projects. I am hoping that what I contribute will help long after I depart from the internship because aquaculture is important for many reasons, not just selling fish at a supermarket.
What drew you to Freshkills Park?
Cait Field, the Manager for Science and Research, visited my Aquaculture class not too long before internships started. She gave a presentation about Freshkills Park and elaborated on what an intern would do. I had never heard of Freshkills Park and I had never been to Staten Island, so learning about it was very interesting and even inspiring to me. It made me want to be a part of what was going to become of Freshkills Park because I bet it will be incredible and a huge addition to New York City.
What is your favorite topic surrounding Freshkills Park and why?
When Cait was giving her presentation about Freshkills, I was really drawn to the history of it. How it was a landfill and now it’s a big piece of parkland. I was amazed at how all the garbage that was thrown away a long time ago is still down there, underneath the landfill cap. My favorite topic will have to be the history and the mission to make it a park.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite color is blue, all shades of it. It is both the color of the sky and sea (even though the ocean technically isn’t blue, but that doesn’t matter right now).
