Welcoming a new member of the Standing Trees team!
A student in the Environmental Science degree program at the University of Vermont, Mathilda Ramos-Williams brings years of experience in ecology, outdoor education, and forest and climate advocacy to Standing Trees and we could not be more grateful.
Hello! My name is Mathilda Ramos-Williams, a rising sophomore majoring in environmental science at the University of Vermont, and I am thrilled to announce that I’ll be joining Standing Trees as an intern this year!
Originally from central New Jersey, I grew up making fairy houses in my local woods, catching crayfish in the Delaware River, hugging trees, and exploring new nature preserves with my family during the pandemic.
As I grew older and entered high school, I began educating myself on the twin global crises that threaten the nature I’d grown up frolicking in: climate change and biodiversity loss. Of course, learning of these seemingly imminent tragedies brought forth feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, and anxiety. Around the same time, however, I was introduced to Dr. Patricia Shanley, an ethnobotanist who spent the majority of her professional life studying non-timber forest products in the Amazon Rainforest. Dr. Shanley encouraged me to join her group of high school-aged forest stewards, widely referred to as the “Ridgeview Turtles.” From then on, my Sunday mornings consisted of removing invasive species (such as Japanese stiltgrass, barberry, multiflora rose, privet, and photinia), creating trail systems for the public to enjoy, and educating both students and adults on the importance of forests. In more ways than not, the fulfilling nature of this volunteer work provided me with the hope, inspiration, and curiosity needed to pursue a career in the conservation field.
When I decided upon UVM’s environmental science program, I knew I wanted to remain involved in community service and volunteering projects. I feel incredibly grateful to have been welcomed by so many exceptional Vermont-based environmental groups thus far. Within my first year of college, I joined the Climate Action Collective, a group of college students advocating for local environmental issues. Together, we spearheaded an educational campaign surrounding Burlington’s use of the McNeil Power Plant as an energy source. We distributed flyers, canvassed, and tabled at events to raise awareness about the unsustainable nature of biomass in Vermont. I also teamed up with the Chittenden Node of 350VT to help organize an Earth Day rally, which brought together speakers and environmental groups from across the state. The rally focused on connecting pressing issues such as labor, migrant justice, racial justice, and climate justice. Some of my favorite memories from my freshman year of college, however, have been my experiences working alongside Standing Trees. From participating in a rally to protest Senator Peter Welch’s support of the Fix Our Forests Act, to conducting field surveys at The Cape Research Natural Area in the Green Mountain National Forest to test various definitions of “old growth” forests, to hearing from countless scientists and professionals at the Old Growth Forest Conference last September, I never cease to become more impassioned towards Standing Trees’ cause.
As I begin my internship with Standing Trees, I am most looking forward to bringing the community together through educational events, getting the public immersed in the public lands we strive to protect, conducting citizen science projects, continuing to work towards a biomass-free future, involving UVM students as well as young people has a whole in Standing Trees’ mission, and sharing my love for nature and public lands with others. When I am not fulfilling my roles as a Standing Trees intern, you can find me swimming in Lake Champlain, enjoying maple creamees, trail running, and scouring the forest for cool mushrooms and tree species!
Stay tuned for more Standing Trees events and volunteer opportunities to come!
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