As I wrap up my final thesis edits, I figured I could share a couple of my videos from last year that I recorded in the middle of my field work just to give an idea of the area I was studying. Enjoy!

Ahhh sorry guys! I have been so busy with research and grad life in general that I have not been posting on here at all. BUT....I have actually been progressing. I am proud to share with you all my presentation on agroforestry in Haiti. It was an amazing project, and one that I am fully invested in academically and emotionally (as you will see at the end :) ). Please enjoy! PhD next!

 Hi All! So I have finally gotten around to compiling these clips together now that I have some free time over the summer. This past March, I had the opportunity to visit Southern Haiti after hearing some great things about the area. I decided to visit three areas:

1. Îlle a Vache- Abaka Bay Resort
  This was an island off of the coast of Les Cayes that presented a tropical getaway-like island away from the mainland. My stay here was smooth with the exception of transportation issues with boating (make sure you check in with them and confirm that they will have a boat ready to pick you up from the mainland and also watch for the ocean conditions as some captains will not take their boats out on a rough day). Other than the expected bugs on a tropical island it is definitely an experience that just about anyone can enjoy. The resort offered a number of activities but I was only present for one night so that pretty much limited my availability. 

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2. Jardin Botanique des Cayes/ Botanical Garden of Aux Cayes
    This was perhaps one of the major reasons for visiting the southern area as it would serve as a possible place of research interest. Also, being a naturalist I was interested in the actual plant life there and what the staff worked on. My guide/interpreter was a local that was taught the science of these plants and it was a pleasure to learn from him. 10/10 recommend visiting this site. It was beautiful! They also have their own nursery!

3. Last was my trip to Grotte Marie-Jeanne, which is one of the most extensive cave structures in the Caribbean located in the Port-a-Piment area of Haiti. It was thrilling yet slightly scary being in those dark caves! But hey, its a natural resource I did not know existed here and it became something truly memorable. My only suggestion is to check in with the locals when you reach the area since it is gated and controlled by one person. That person may or may not be available when you reach unless you have his phone number. The last person that guided me was named Victor: # +509 3649 9810.

As promised, I would like to welcome everyone to my unofficial project kick-off for my graduate research. The shock is still settling in but I am so happy to be able to get things started with the support of such a great institution. 

Our Earth is experiencing a shift in global temperatures and with that, comes a greater propensity of natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding and regular flash floods. Like many other caribbean nations, Haiti is vulnerable to some of the major impacts of these disasters. Places such as Gonayiv, Aux Cayes, Martissant, Cap-Haïtien, etc, will become prime areas to investigate in order to establish better preparedness and potential policies. We all know that even a normal thunderstorm can leave the roads in these areas inaccessible. Community development and preparedness will become essential in alleviating the destruction of these disasters and other regular

I will be heading to Haiti next week to meet potential partners and visiting a couple of these sites to get a feel for project potential.

Again thank you to everyone supporting! 

Hello everyone!

​Sorry for leaving you guys hanging there since last summer. My final semesters as an undergrad have perhaps been the most challenging for the fact that I have had so much going on. However, it is with great pleasure (and relief) to announce that I have been accepted to Cornell University’s Natural Resources Program!

For a very long time, Cornell had been my dream school but I never had enough confidence to apply and risk facing rejection. I spent my entire undergraduate years working towards gaining lots of research experience and making it through the required courses in order to build the confidence that I lacked. 

Once I found a potential advisor (and she is great by the way!) I applied and while sitting in physics lecture, I received the unofficial ‘you’re in’ email from her and since then I have been on cloud nine. It really is the greatest feeling in the world right now to know that I will be able to have some kind of impact. I could go on and on about how passionate I am about school and bringing change to my country but I will save that for another time!

In the meantime, please bare with me as I prepare for my unofficial project kickoff. Also, below are organizations that, so far, are reliable and ones that you can donate to!

Jeuneuse Verte (Green Youth) 

JVH’s Mission aims to educate and empower youth in Haiti about the importance of taking care of their living environment through recycling and reforesting activities. We also hold awareness conferences in order to teach young teenagers about their impact on their living environment and about how they must treat their environment in order to influence their loved ones.

Email: jeunesseverteht@gmail.com 
Twitter | Instagram: @JeunesseVerteHT
Facebook : Jeunesse Verte Haïtienne. 
Blog: https://jeunesseverteht.wordpress.com/2014/08/



Jardin Botanique des Cayes (The Botanical Garden of Aux Cayes, Haiti)

A local botanical garden in the south of Haiti that aims to promote all aspects of natural resources and conservation. They educate and train locals, and attempt to protect Haiti’s natural endemic flora all while spreading knowledge and assisting in numerous research projects. I hope to partner with them during my graduate research.

https://www.jardinbotaniquecayeshaiti.org/donation

Hi Everyone!

I’m happy to finally get my site up and running as I finish off my undergraduate studies. The purpose of this site is to allow those who aren’t familiar with my personal and academic background to get a glimpse of what sorts of things I am interested in and my goals for the near future. Here you will find updates and news on what I will be doing beyond this point. Feel free to contact me about related matters, and welcome!

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