Intern Spotlight: Charlotte O’Donoghue on Building Connections with the Natural World_足彩app哪个是正规的

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Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:59:37 +0000
Internships, People

In this intern spotlight, Charlotte O’Donoghue reflects on building meaningful connections with the natural world through community engagement, curiosity, and hands-on environmental learning at Saint Edward State Park.

足彩app哪个是正规的 post Intern Spotlight: Charlotte O’Donoghue on Building Connections with the Natural World appeared first on Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement.

“I wanted to create an easy avenue for people to start thinking about the animals around them. Not just surface-level acknowledgement, but understanding that that’s another creature that you can build a positive relationship with.”

A Project Rooted in Relationship and Care

Over the past five months, University of Washington Bothell senior Charlotte O’Donoghue, studying Policy and Environmentalism, has been working with CoSEE to explore how people build relationships with the natural world.

Growing up with a love for birds and guidance from their Indigenous background, Charlotte has long been interested in how people understand their place within ecosystems. 足彩app哪个是正规的ir work at CoSEE focused on creating accessible ways for others to begin thinking about these relationships in everyday life.

Through their internship, Charlotte developed an educational activity kit and led a public event designed to introduce participants to new ways of engaging with local wildlife—starting with something as simple as noticing the birds around them.

Introducing Kincentricity Through Learning

At the heart of Charlotte’s project is the concept of Kincentricity, which emphasizes that humans are deeply connected to and responsible for the living systems around them. As Enrique Salmón describes, Kincentricity reflects the idea that “everything around us is a relative and that we share breath with everything.”

Charlotte’s work invited participants to reflect on how we relate to the natural world and how small, intentional actions can help foster stronger connections. Rather than focusing on large-scale change, their project emphasized starting with awareness, curiosity, and care.

Through guided questions and activities, participants were encouraged to consider what it might feel like to experience the world from another perspective and how everyday choices can shape our relationships with other living beings.

Creating the Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder Kit

As part of their internship, Charlotte designed a Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder kit, which provides a simple, hands-on way for participants to engage with local bird species. 足彩app哪个是正规的 kit includes materials to build a bird feeder using a repurposed plastic bottle, along with a care guide that outlines how to responsibly support bird populations. By combining sustainability with hands-on learning, the kit creates a tangible way for people to build connections with the wildlife around them.

“I wanted to create an easy avenue for people to start thinking about the animals around them,” Charlotte shared. “Not just surface-level acknowledgement, but understanding that that’s another creature that you can build a positive relationship with.”

足彩app哪个是正规的 accompanying bird care guide provides practical tips for maintaining feeders, preventing the spread of disease, and identifying local bird species. 足彩app哪个是正规的se resources help participants move from curiosity to informed action.

Bringing Learning to Life: Bird Feeder Build Day

In addition to designing the kit, Charlotte developed and led a public program at the EERC classroom called Bird Feeder Build Day. 足彩app哪个是正规的 event combined hands-on crafting with interactive learning activities, creating a welcoming space for participants to explore local bird species and their roles within ecosystems. One featured activity, Feathers for Hire, introduced participants to common Pacific Northwest birds through a matching game that encouraged them to think about how each species contributes to its environment.

“I wanted it to be an opportunity to understand the world from the most basic level,” Charlotte reflected, “because once people can truly understand something—and the good they do in the world—the more often they’ll want to protect it.”

Through this event, Charlotte created a space where participants could learn, ask questions, and build connections with both the natural world and each other.

Growth Through Experience

During their time at CoSEE, Charlotte developed a wide range of skills, including writing, communication, graphic design, event planning, collaboration, and public speaking. 足彩app哪个是正规的 opportunity to design and lead their own project provided valuable experience in both creative development and community engagement.

足彩app哪个是正规的y also gained insight into the inner workings of nonprofit programming, from planning and logistics to implementation and reflection.

O’Donoghue described their experience as both educational and affirming:
“I’m sure that this is only a glimpse of what I’ll be able to create in the real world, but the experiences I’ve had at CoSEE have really solidified my own career ideas.”

Shaping the Future of Environmental Education

Charlotte leaves CoSEE with a continued commitment to environmental education and exploring how people relate to the natural world. 足彩app哪个是正规的ir project highlights how small, thoughtful actions—like building a bird feeder or observing local wildlife—can open the door to deeper understanding and connection.

Through their work, Charlotte contributed to CoSEE’s broader mission of creating accessible, community-centered environmental learning experiences. 足彩app哪个是正规的ir hope is that participants walk away with a renewed sense of curiosity and a greater awareness of the relationships that exist all around them—and the role we all play in caring for those connections.

足彩app哪个是正规的 post Intern Spotlight: Charlotte O’Donoghue on Building Connections with the Natural World appeared first on Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement.