BioDiversity

Earthwatch Institute, a nonprofit organization founded in 1971, is giving a student in Brooklyn an opporunity of a lifetime.
Richaela Primus, a Brooklyn native of Grenadian parentage, was given this opportunity. As a student of The Brooklyn Academy for Science and the Environment, Richaela was nominated by her school to enter The Student Challenge Awards Program at Earthwatch.
Each year, the organization gives away 80 awards to conduct field research with a scientist in North America and the Caribbean. To qualify, over 300 high school students from all over the country went through an application process.
Aside from being nominated by her school, Richaela decided to apply to the Student Challenge Awards Program because she wants to be a veterinarian and researcher.
During the summer, Richaela will be working in St. Johns, US Virgin Islands, along with researchers: Claire A. Fuller, Ph.D. and Marielle A. Postava-Davigon and five other team members. The expedition is on “Ecology of Caribbean Termites” and deals with the impact pf the physical environment on immunity and the micobial community. The award covers all travel and field costs.
To find out more about Earthwatch Institute, go to www.earthwatch.org.