My name is Emma Knickelbine, and I’m currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Literature and Cultural Theory at UW- Milwaukee. My academic focus is ecocriticism, the study of the ways that topics of literature and environment interact. A lot of my work focuses on the negative impacts of humans upon the environment: toxicity, waste, deforestation, etc, and how those elements are reflected in the literature we write. I’m excited to intern at Gathering Ground because sustainable agriculture has huge potential as a positive interaction between humans and the nonhumans on whom we depend. In my spare time, you’d probably find me hiking, kayaking, painting, reading, writing, or just exploring this wide world.

I’m Sophia. I’m 25 years old and graduated from St. Norbert College in 2018 with a degree in sociology. I loved it there and ended up staying in the Green Bay Area up until this April working for the Wisconsin Early Autism Project. I grew up on the island, and I’m so happy to be back for another summer before moving to Madison in the fall where I plan to resume working at WEAP again. When I’m not working I like to play guitar and have gotten back into doing some artwork over the past year. I’ve been working on some watercolor paintings and have also been playing around with drone photography which has been a lot of fun, especially in such a beautiful place! I’m excited to experience life in Madison later this year, but the island will always be home so I know I’ll continue to find my way back.