Meet Our 2025 Wetlands Fellows

The Jamaica Bay Wetlands Fellowship is an annual program run by Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy to train young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 years old on how to be the next generation of wetland managers. This capacity-building program works to train fellows on wetlands maintenance, monitoring, restoration, stakeholder relationships, and nature-based solutions — with the goal of preparing youth for the workforce.

Meet the 2025 Wetlands Fellows below.

Añes Yamin

Añes is a 24-year-old graduate from New School who was born in Mexico. Being a Wetlands Fellow taught Añes how to take precautionary measures in outdoor stewardship work, including always wearing sunscreen. Her favorite thing about the fellowship is being able to connect with the other Wetlands Fellows and the overall JBRPC team. A fun fact about her is that she loves to pull mugwort.

Blair Chase

Blair is a recent graduate from Amherst College who studied Philosophy and Psychology. He spends his free time playing or coaching volleyball. In the future, he aspires to become an attorney. The fellowship taught him how vital it is to ensure regular maintenance and stewardship of parklands, even at relatively low-need locations. His favorite thing about the program is the friendships he has made with coworkers throughout this experience, along with the exposure to new parks he had never been to. A fun fact about him is that he loves to juggle.

Brendan Routledge

Brendan is currently studying Computer Science, and states that what drew him to this fellowship is his love for the intersection between natural science and computer science. Combining ecology and technology is his ideal response to the growing demands and concerns of the industry and environment. This fellowship opportunity allowed him to explore this intersection. He believes that this experience was invaluable to his interests and career development, teaching him that grassroots local workforce development programs should be more valued and supported.

Chiara Roman

Chiara Roman loves cooking, baking, and basketball. Her favorite thing about the fellowship was the opportunity to explore the intricacies behind garbage cleanup and stewardship. She learned about different native and invasive plants through this experience, giving her a deeper understanding of biodiversity.

Danielle Roesch

Danielle Roesch saw this fellowship as an educational opportunity to learn more about stewardship. One of her favorite things to do is an ocean cold plunge. Her favorite aspect of being a Wetlands Fellow was the ability to work outside everyday. This experience gave her an appreciation for local parks and an awareness of the natural areas that are accessible and available in New York City.

Devin Johnson

Devin describes himself as a machete planted firmly in the ground, grown from a seed of love. He sees himself as a long, rough and sharp remover of obstacles, forged by fire and the hands that came before him. By grace and faith, he seeks to clear a path into the winding woods on this path of life, aiming for the trail he leaves behind to be an easier journey for those who walk it. A fun fact about him is that he is working on a night life film and digital archival work. He is also a bedroom DJ. His favorite thing about being a Wetlands Fellow is the opportunity to be connected with different community members and organizations, exposing him to the diverse recreational opportunities available to his right in his metaphorical backyard. This experience taught him the power of large scale, cross-community mobilization, as well as giving him insight to the logistics of how much of an undertaking it can be.

Fadwa Yousef

Fadwa Yousef is an early career ecologist specializing in urban and coastal ecology. Their work includes an award winning thesis on the floristic quality of the Marine Park Preserve. They also have previous experience as a field monitor for NYC Parks' decennial Forest Ecological Assessment. They hope to continue to contribute to coastal resiliency projects, particularly through nature-based solutions. A fun fact about them is that their favorite video game is Disco Elysium. Their favorite thing about being a Wetlands Fellow is stewarding Jamaica Bay and visiting natural areas that they otherwise wouldn't know about. Being in the field has familiarized them with ongoing projects throughout the New York City waterfront.

Kaylie Wong

Kaylie Wong is 23 and living in Richmond Hill, Queens. She majored in psychology and her main passion is marine biology and wildlife. She is also a very creative person and does crafts/art in her free time. A fun fact about her is that she collects trinkets such as bones, rocks, and seashells. Her favorite thing about being a Wetlands Fellow is being able to explore Jamaica Bay and experience life outside of the city — as well as learn about how much nature and wildlife New York City truly has. This experience has taught her how to identify plants, understand how prevalent they are throughout the city, and assess how to take care of the world.

Lynx Zacarias-Castillo

Lynx Zacarias-Castillo is a queer, first-generation Mexican American with a love for the planet they were born in. They have a natural curiosity and care about the world around them, which makes them love working and connecting with the outdoors. They hope to do similar conservation work in Mexico someday. A fun thing about them is that they used to have pet mice. Their favorite thing about being a Wetlands Fellow is the friends they made along the way. This experience taught them about native and invasive species identification.

Markus Arthur

Markus Arthur was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He always had a love for biology and environmentalism. He comes from a background in audio engineering. This fellowship has allowed him to reignite his passion for environmental restoration, motivating his pursuit in a degree and career for environmental studies and biology. A fun fact about him is that he plays the cello and bass. His favorite thing about being a fellow is the ability to work in the field and experience the many green spaces of Jamaica Bay in which he wouldn’t normally venture to. This experience taught him the impact the wetlands have on maintaining New York City’s ecosystem.

Matthew Wojcik

Matthew Wojcik is pursuing a master degree in Earth and Environmental Studies at Brooklyn College. He unites what he learned from academia and the field to further his goals of conservation. All in all, he believes the fellowship aligned perfectly with what he is studying, along with providing helpful data for projects. A fun fact about Wojcik is he loves mugwort, sandwort, spiderwort, and spurwort. His favorite thing about the fellowship was the horticultural knowledge he accumulated thus far. This experience taught him how to differentiate between different types of plants, as well as how to be an effective environmental steward.

Molly Eccles

Molly Eccles believes that being a part of JBRPC has not only strengthened her faith, but has also taught her how to better care for the beautiful world that the Lord has given us to enjoy, study, and protect. She cites Psalm 24:1-2 as her inspiration. She states that being a steward of Jamaica bay has been an absolute blessing, as she has learned how to engage with the lands, parks, and people. A fun fact about her is that she drove to France on a family road trip. Her favorite thing about the fellowship was learning to recognize the flora and fauna (whether it be native or invasive) within Jamaica Bay and other parks she visited. This experience taught her how to respect the nature that surrounds her, as well as how to care for it.

Ryver-Jordan Lindsay

Ryver-Jordan Lindsay is an aspiring naturalist who is concerned about climate change. A fun fact about her is that she is also an avid art and cat lover who is double jointed in her shoulders. Her favorite thing about being a fellow is the ability to explore the natural areas around Jamaica Bay and contribute to continuing efforts at ecological restoration. Through this experience, she learned more about invasive and endemic species in her local area and the work that goes into maintaining our natural areas

Sebastian Jaramillo

Sebastian Jaramillo calls himself a “pretty chill guy,” and is currently living in Brooklyn, but originally from Queens. He is a tattoo artist, screen printer, and a proud grunt of the JBRPC. A fun fact about him is that he can pull mad mugwort. His favorite thing about the fellowship was witnessing the beauty of natural areas and having the opportunity to contribute to their well being. This experience taught him that everybody needs to worry about conservation.

We also wanted to take a moment to give a shoutout to the staff members of JBRPC who have helped make this fellowship possible. Meet JBRPC’s Stewardship Programs Manager and Workforce Development Supervisor below!

Anil Pasram

Anil Pasram serves as the Stewardship Programs Manager and Director of the Wetlands Fellowship Program at the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. He has mentored three passionate cohorts of young adults dedicated to restoring coastal ecosystems and public parklands. He believes that it is truly an honor to continue guiding this work and collaborating with a diverse network of educators, agencies, and community members who share JBRPC’s vision for a healthier ecosystem, as well as a thriving and equitable future along the shores of Jamaica Bay. Pasram believes that the most rewarding thing in the work he does is being able to give young adults a paid opportunity to explore their passion in the natural areas, while stewarding new and unfamiliar sites across Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway.  

Michael Reyes Martinez

Michael Reyes Martinez serves as the Workforce Development Supervisor for the Jamaica Bay Fellowship Program, leading youth in hands-on environmental projects in Jamaica Bay, Queens. With the fellows, he works on cleaning beaches, maintaining park trails, and attending conferences to deepen fellows’ understanding of environmental stewardship. He trains them in tool use, safety, and workplace organization, while fostering teamwork and responsibility. He believes this experience empowers fellows to protect natural resources and develop valuable life skills. Martinez has been working with JBRPC over the past 6 years. His favorite thing about working with the fellows is being able to pass on his skills to them and meet wonderful people who are enthusiastic about the environment and natural areas in Jamaica Bay.

For more information about the Wetlands Fellowship, check out the Wetlands Fellowship Page on our website. To learn more about the impact of this fellowship, check out JBRPC’s 2024 Wetlands Fellowship Report and 2023 Wetlands Fellowship Report.

If you have any questions about the Wetlands Fellowship, email Anil Pasram at anil@jbrpc.org.