Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

08/29/2026

Meet Zoe Alberti, a senior at Central Washington University and one of our summer education interns! Zoe is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry.

This summer, Zoe hosted several student programs and field trips each week on a variety of marine topics. These included lessons on blue crabs, terrapins and sea otters. When not occupied with visitors, she took care of the educational animals in SERC’s aquaria at our Reed Education Center and worked on her own research project with pollinator cameras. Her project had two goals: to discover more about native orchid pollinators and to educate students of all ages about them.

“I’ve gained more knowledge about the field as a whole and what kind of jobs there are,” Zoe says. “There’s flexibility in how you do your project, [and] what exactly it will be.”

Once she graduates in December, Zoe hopes to find another internship or fellowship. She wants to gain experience as a research assistant before returning to school for a master’s or Ph.D. in cell and molecular ecology. In the meantime, she made the most of her time at SERC and suggests that others do the same.

“Don’t be scared to apply, even if you live far away,” she says. “You’ll meet the best community of people here!”

Photo courtesy of Zoe Alberti

08/28/2026

Visitors: The main hall of the Reed Education Center is temporarily closed on weekends and holidays. Restrooms remain accessible in the back of the building. The Reed building will be fully open on weekdays, 8am-4pm, and our trails are available seven days per week.

08/26/2026

What's missing from this katydid? If you guessed "leg," you're spot on. The missing hindleg marks the katydid in this photo as a survivor.

This angle-wing katydid, spotted on the sidewalk outside one of our gardens, likely lost its leg in a predator attack. Predators like birds sometimes grab insects by their legs, but katydids have the ability to bite their legs off to escape. It's called "leg autotomy," and it's one of the insect's many defense mechanisms. (Though this one is more of a last resort.) Once an adult katydid loses a leg, it won't grow back, and its movement will take a penalty as a result. But if it can survive to mating and egg-laying season in late summer and fall, that counts as a win for this species.

📸 by Kristen Goodhue / SERC

08/25/2026

Meet Izzie Wamsteker, an intern in SERC’s Watershed Science Lab. Izzie graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s in environmental science and a minor in GIS.

Izzie’s research is focused on detecting contaminants in stream water. This summer, she spent her days analyzing and testing water samples from the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. The goal of the project is to measure levels of pollutants and dissolved organic matter.

She also worked on a participatory science project aiming to make water testing available to the general public. The solution? Tampons! Compared to fancy lab equipment, tampons are cheap and accessible.

“This is our try at doing community science…so people can test their local water to see if it’s safe,” she says. “It’s helpful to know what your environment is filled with.”

After her internship ends, Izzie will be applying to graduate schools. She’s interested in the intersection of urban planning and environmental justice.

“My goal is to improve the general public’s quality of life, and part of that is planning sustainably for the environment,” she says.

When asked if she had any advice for future interns, Izzie said, “Even if you don’t think you are going to get an interview, apply. You’ll gain technical and professional skills I think young career folks don’t always have access to. It’s a great introduction to the professional world.”

Photo courtesy of Izzie Wamsteker

08/24/2026

We're a new travel manager! Join our team as a Management Support Assistant, and work with scientists and education specialists to arrange domestic and international business travel. We're looking for someone with an associate degree or higher, the ability to use Microsoft Suite products (especially Excel), and good organizational and teamwork skills. This is a full-time trust (non-federal) position with benefits.

This position will close Sept. 18 or when 300 applications are received, whichever comes soonest. Details and application info at https://s.si.edu/4gzDAlB

📸 by Emily Li / SERC

08/21/2026

Hit the road with us! Our newest documentary, "Big Ones" is live on our YouTube channel, . Follow intern Wes Melker as he visits some of the oldest white oaks in Maryland and the people who care for them, including the 274-year-old Sentinel Oak on our campus. Discover why these sturdy trees are not only the state tree of Maryland (and Connecticut and Illinois), but also a staple of American culture for over two centuries.

Watch the full documentary at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE9Ne1A6lL4

📽️ by Wes Melker
🎵 by KNEEDZ

08/21/2026

Meet Willow Hayner, a biology major from Kalamazoo College in our Plant and Molecular Ecology Lab. She contributes to plant surveys, pollinator cameras and orchid demography. While the days are long, she enjoys the work.

“I’ve been really upping my plant ID skills,” Willow says. “I could confidently tell you at least 30 plants out in the forest now.”

Although most orchids need pollinators like insects or birds to reproduce, the pollinators of many North American orchid species still remain a mystery to scientists. Willow helps develop “environmental DNA” (eDNA) methods to detect different species of orchid pollinators by looking at traces of DNA the animals leave behind on the flowers. She compares pollinators spotted on motion-detecting Raspberry Pi cameras with eDNA samples taken from the plants.

One thing she enjoys about her project is the chance to do both lab and field work.

“This is one of the first times I've been able to envision myself as a scientist,” she says. SERC has helped her feel confident in her work and consider graduate school more seriously.

Some advice from Willow to future interns: "It can be scary applying to things like this, but I think you should do it. Everyone here has been so welcoming and wants to encourage young people in science."

📸 courtesy of Willow Hayner

08/20/2026

Our director, Monty Graham, had a cameo on the NBC Today Show yesterday morning for a segment on this summer's blooms! As a certified jellyfish biologist, Monty can vouch that these creatures are a natural part of the ecosystem. One common jellyfish in Chesapeake Bay, the the bay nettle (Chrysaora chesapeakei), can even help oysters by eating comb jellies that prey on them. Watch to the end for tips on what to do if you're stung. (Pro tip: Bring tweezers to remove tentacles.)

Summer is drawing to an end but large swarms of jellyfish are turning up along some popular spots on the East Coast, bringing a stinging end to the season for beachgoers. Experts say a hotter season coupled with drought have created the perfect conditions for jellyfish to flourish in the Chesapeake....

08/19/2026

Visitors: Have you seen the inside of our 1735 Woodlawn History Center yet? If not, there are two weekends left to visit before we begin a major renovation project. The last weekend Woodlawn will be fully open to the public this year is Aug. 29-30. Woodlawn will also be open Thursdays and Fridays for the rest of August. For full details and hours, visit https://serc.si.edu/visit/woodlawn-history-center

Beginning in September 2026, the Woodlawn History Center will be partially closed as we renovate the second floor for additional administrative space. As the Smithsonian’s oldest building, Woodlawn also needs extra love and care, so we’ll be making some much-needed repairs and improvements to prevent moisture intrusion. We will keep portions of the building, including the lobby, restrooms and the 1735 wing, open whenever feasible during construction. We look forward to reopening the center in 2027!

Photos by Stephen Voss / Smithsonian

08/18/2026

Meet JD Lee, a rising junior at St. Mary's College of Maryland and summer intern in the Smithsonian Marine Conservation Program and MarineGEO. JD is pursuing a double major in biology and marine science with a minor in math.

MarineGEO (the Marine Global Earth Observatory) is a global network headquartered at SERC, which seeks to understand and monitor marine biodiversity worldwide. The network collects boatloads (pun intended) of data on fish, corals and seagrasses by partnering with institutions around the globe. The resulting datasets are quite large and can be difficult to manage and interpret. It’s up to JD to organize some of these data to try and make sense of them.

This is JD’s second year interning at SERC. He was invited back by his lab to continue analysis on changing coral diversity. Both opportunities have allowed him to develop and refine his data management abilities.

“This year, I gained more skills in Excel, and I learned a lot more about statistics,” he says.

When JD returns to college, he’ll be taking part in undergraduate research. Using the data management skills he gained at SERC, he’ll create a database for one of his school’s labs. In the future, he hopes to pursue a master’s in bioinformatics or biostatistics.

JD has this advice for future interns: “Don’t get stressed over working alone. Ask questions… everyone wants to see you doing the most you can with the resources you’re given.”

Photos courtesy of JD Lee

Note: This post has been corrected, to more accurately reflect JD's role in data management.