Member Spotlight: Diego Calderon-Arrieta, Baykeeper Patroller

Meet Diego Calderon-Arrieta , serving with Mobile Baykeeper as part of the Baykeeper Patrol & Monitoring program.

What motivated you to join AmeriCorps? I was motivated to participate in AmeriCorps because I am drawn to its commitment to servicing the community. I have a deep sense of justice that motivates me to support those who have no recourse.

What would you like to get out of this service opportunity? I want to develop more fieldwork and laboratory analysis skills. I am interested in developing a better understanding of how nature and modern society impacts water quality. Most importantly, I want to look at how these water quality impacts might impact low-income and minority communities.

What will your service focus on for the 2017-18 program year? I am focusing on monitoring water quality in the Mobile Bay area and rivers and streams that lead into that watershed. I will be doing both fieldwork sampling, plotting the data online in maps, and performing laboratory analyses on water and environmental samples. I will be also writing and communicating these findings to the affected communities in the area.

What are your plans after AmeriCorps? I would like to work on environmental health and science research, more than likely in the non-profit sector. I am interested in working in the New England area or along the West Coast. I want to utilize my skills to support environmental justice organizations in the US.

Thank you for your service Diego!