Celebrating Our Fall 2025 Interns and Their Conservation Contributions
December 16, 2025
Celebrating Our Fall 2025 Interns and Their Conservation Contributions
On December 5, 2025, we gathered for our Fall 2025 Intern Symposium, a day to celebrate the incredible work of our interns and hear firsthand about the projects that are helping advance conservation on Bald Head Island. These talented young professionals brought energy, curiosity, and dedication to projects that advance our mission of discovering, learning, conserving, and preserving Bald Head Island’s natural treasures.
Sifting Throught SILT: Characterizing the Habitats and Vegetation of Protected Areas on Bald Head Island – Lainie Powell & Michaela Sweeney
Lainie and Michaela designed and carried out an independent research project to understand the habitats of all 65 SILT properties across the island. With over 70 hours of field surveys, they cataloged plant communities, documented rare and invasive species, and created a robust inventory of 12 properties. Their work equips SILT and the Conservancy with practical tools to guide future land management and conservation priorities.
Redesigning How We Communicate Conservation at BHIC – Shaelynn Girfaldo
Shaelynn spent her internship enhancing how we share our conservation monitoring projects with the world. Through interactive elements, GIS-based visuals, photos, and thoughtfully organized text, she highlighted key programs including water quality sampling, invasive species management, and deer monitoring. The result? A more engaging, accessible website that communicates the science behind our work while inviting the community to explore, learn, and participate.
Monitoring Ghost Forest Formation on Bald Head Island – Lauren Collver
Conservation Technician Lauren Collver developed and launched a new long-term research project focused on monitoring ghost forest formation on Bald Head Island. Drawing on her background in forest ecology and management, Lauren designed a practical, repeatable monitoring protocol to track how rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion are driving the transition from maritime forest to marsh along the island’s creek edges.
Her work established baseline data on tree health, understory vegetation, and soil salinity in the Bald Head Woods Reserve, creating a foundation that future Conservancy staff and interns can build upon year after year. This project places Bald Head Island on the leading edge of coastal forest research and provides critical insight into how climate change is reshaping barrier island ecosystems. Lauren’s thoughtful approach ensured the project was both scientifically rigorous and manageable for a small conservation team, an investment that will guide stewardship and management decisions well into the future.
Monitoring a New Living Shoreline – Tabitha Ormond
Tabitha focused on evaluating the Conservancy’s February 2025 living shoreline installation, which included Sandbar Oyster Company’s Oyster Catcher™ Tables and Sediment Accumulation Pillows. She developed a method to monitor habitat provision, sediment accumulation, and oyster recruitment, providing critical insights to guide future living shoreline projects. Unfortunately, Tabitha was unable to join us for a presentation on the day of the symposium, but her work remains incredibly important and will have a lasting impact on our conservation efforts.
We are grateful to our Fall 2025 interns for their dedication, creativity, and impact. Their projects not only advance our understanding of Bald Head Island’s ecosystems but also provide tools, insights, and inspiration that will benefit the Conservancy and the community for years to come. We wish Shaelynn, Lainie, Michaela, Lauren, and Tabitha all the best as they move forward in their careers, confident that the work they’ve done here will echo across the island’s conservation landscape.
