Meet the 2022 Interns: Sierra Osborne

Tell us the story of what sparked your interest in the environment, conservation, and/or whales and dolphins 

I grew up always going to the beach with my family, watching Animal Planet and going to aquariums, so I have always liked the ocean, but as I got older it then turned into a love for marine conservation.

Another reason that sparked my interest in conservation was because of my science teachers growing up. I grew up in a small town in North Alabama, so in school I was not really taught about marine conservation. So I was telling my science teachers that I wanted to know more about it and that I wanted to one day become a scientist ,so then they directed me in the direction of really interesting papers to look at that involve marine conservation and marine biology as a whole.

Why did you want to be an intern with WDC? 

I was following WDC on Instagram and I saw that they were looking for interns for the summer. I really liked what WDC stood for and I also liked that they not only tried to get people in their community interested and involved about whale and dolphin conservation but also people from all over the world. So that made me want to apply! 

What are you most excited to learn/do during your internship? 

I am most excited about getting time working with the children! I’m excited about that because I know that If I had lessons about whales and dolphins or even seeing Delilah it would have helped fuel my love for marine conservation at an even younger age.

What is your favorite fact about marine mammals? 

My favorite fact about marine mammals is that Sea otters have a favorite rock that they find and use regularly.They use the rocks to help them open clam shells and mollusks. Sea otters have loose skin under their skin, so they use it to keep food and their favorite rock. Another small fact about sea otters is that they are the smallest marine mammal.