A conversation with Rachel Wach and Ava Perez
This spring, Parks & Trails New York is excited to welcome two new interns to the team: Rachel Wach and Ava Perez. As PTNY gears up for another busy year of programs, advocacy, and events across the state, these fresh faces have jumped in to help support the work behind the scenes.
From coordinating volunteers and outreach efforts to creating communications that highlight PTNY’s impact, Rachel and Ava bring different skills and experiences to the organization, but share a passion for parks, trails, and the outdoors.
We sat down with them to learn more about how they found their way to PTNY, what a typical day in their roles looks like, and why protecting and improving public lands matters to them.
Meet the Interns
Rachel Wach
Born and raised in Western New York, Rachel has always been around nature. From camping with her family at a young age to her solo trail walk ventures, she is constantly in awe of what nature is capable of. Rachel decided to return to SUNY Buffalo State after a career in customer service and is pursuing a certificate in Environmental Science and Society. Combined with her local environmental involvement, Rachel looks forward to using her certificate to help her neighbors understand and develop their roles in Earth’s ecosystem. She is very excited to be a part of the team at PTNY to encourage stewardship and appreciation for the natural world.
Role at PTNY: Engagement and Programs Intern
Ava Perez
Ava is from the Hudson Valley and grew up with a great appreciation for the outdoors. She likes to spend her summers walking along her local trail with her dog Charlie or going to the beach. She is currently a senior at Siena University studying Marketing and Environmental Studies. She has experience in communications, social media management, content creation and analytics. She has also worked in food security initiatives alongside local organic farms, where she developed a deeper understanding of how land, community, and access intersect. During her junior year, she spent her spring semester studying abroad in Costa Rica where her passion for conservation and environmental work only grew. She is very proud to be a part of the team at PTNY and excited to contribute to the environmental efforts here in New York.
Role at PTNY: Communications and Development Intern
Q&A Section
1. What drew you to PTNY, and what interested you most about this internship?
Rachel: I actually heard about the internship from a former colleague of mine from the Buffalo Museum of Science. When I saw her post about the opportunity at PTNY, it looked like an incredible opportunity to both expand upon my current knowledge and skills, and also introduce me to processes and people involved in environmental change. Sydney was gracious to tell me about her experience in her role at PTNY and the more that she told me, the more it sounded like a perfect fit. I applied right after!
Ava: I was looking for a role that would allow me to combine my skills in marketing and communications with my passion for environmentalism. When I came across Parks & Trails New York, I applied right away. The name immediately caught my attention—after all, I do genuinely enjoy parks and trails! As I explored the website, I was impressed by the wide range of work PTNY is involved in across the state. Overall, the position felt like a perfect fit for both my skills and my interests.
2. What does a typical day look like in your role?
Rachel: While my days are not necessarily the same, the projects that I work on are. I primarily work on Canal Clean Sweep, Adopt-a-Trail, I Love My Park Day, and Bike Friendly New York. My tasks range from answering volunteer questions, setting up email communications, and outreach, to approving event registrations and data organization. Rebecca and I have a check in at the beginning of the week to set priorities and I go from there.
Ava: My routine varies from day to day, but at the start of the week I usually check in with Michaela, our Communications Manager, after my morning class to go over the projects ahead. From there I dive into whatever tasks are on the agenda. At some point during the day I’ll also join a team meeting, and afterward I get back to working on my assignments. Before wrapping up, I typically check back in with my supervisor to share updates and make sure everything is on track. Recently, much of my time has been focused on Park & Public Lands Advocacy Day and creating infographics for several upcoming events.
3. How does your background connect to the work you’re doing here?
Rachel: My background is largely in customer service, within varying industries. Interacting with a variety of people from different walks of life has allowed me to hone my communication skills and be able to connect people with services that they may need or use. Outside of my career, I have spent a lot of time outdoors, and more recently, among the pollinators. I completed my Pollinator Steward Certification last fall and have continued my education in this area, going to lectures, reading books, and listening to podcasts; I’ve been invited to give talks at local libraries on bees, which has been a wonderful experience. I am very active in my local community garden club and tree initiatives, and working with PTNY has introduced me to all of the opportunities that communities can take advantage of to aid them in their sustainability and environmental goals. There are so many ways to help!
Ava: In college my main course classes were majorly revolving around business and marketing. I learned a lot about what makes a business successful and the different ways to do it. Some of the courses I have taken were focused on data analytics, research, web design, and branding. I also have taken a number of environmental classes where I learned about the interconnected systems in nature and human impact on the environment. During my time at Siena I interned with the school’s dining program as a part of the marketing team. Here, I learned a lot about project management and enhanced my communication skills. I have also interned with Cornell Cooperative Extension to help them with outreach on some of their stewardship programs which has been helpful in providing me more experience in the non profit sector. These things tie in very well with what I am working on here at PTNY.
4. How do parks, trails, or public lands show up in your own life?
Rachel: I am my most calm when I am outdoors, so I take every opportunity that I can to explore nature near and far. I love to feel like I am part of something, and being on a trail surrounded by the sounds of birds in spring, or the profound silence of winter, I feel at home. I am incredibly fortunate to live in Western New York where there are parks and trails everywhere, often no more than a 5 minute drive away. Going on a casual hike is one of my favorite ways to explore a new area, and the fact that I have gotten to do so in so many places (home and abroad) is a blessing. We need to have safe spaces to explore the outdoors, and having public lands, trails, and parks available to all is a community-wide benefit for our health and our future.
Ava: I grew up my whole life within walking distance to the Heritage Trail in Orange County. I used that trail to get to and from school, to walk my dog, or to get to the rest of town and it has been such a privilege. In rural towns sidewalks are sometimes uncommon, making it hard to get places without a car but in my case, the trail made it easy to get where I needed to go. In addition to it being a practical thing in my life, it has been the place I go to when I need to clear my head. During COVID going on long walks on the trail was one of my favorite things to do. Now, going outside and exploring for me is always the highlight of my day. I love my trail and I believe it is something that everyone should have access to- which is why this work is so important.
Top 3 Surprises Working at PTNY
- Size of the team and genuine passion of each team member (Did you know that there are only 12 full-time staff members? It is a small and mighty team at PTNY that gets an incredible amount accomplished for far-reaching impact!)
- How big some of the programs are
- PTNY works with so many different groups, from the statewide DEC to your local municipality. The connections are endless!