Interns

UW Bothell students work on forest ecology at Pleasant Valley Park and in the greenhouse on campus. When students truly understand the deep, inextricable connection between nature and human well-being, everything changes. They’re better able to care for their own health, thoughtfully weave green space strategies into their studies, and step into the world ready to champion policies and programs that support both people and the planet. Even in the face of climate change, this knowledge empowers them to advocate for healthier, more resilient communities—where nature and people can flourish together.

Transdisciplinary fields like nature and health offer opportunities for students from many different majors and minors. We currently mentor UW undergraduates through the EarthLab Summer Internship Program and the Program on the Environment Capstone Experience. For nature and health-related research opportunities, see the Environment and Well-Being Lab, Landscape Ecology and Conservation Lab, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, Human Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems (HINTS) Lab, and the Seto Lab. If you are interested in an unpaid internship outside of these programs, send your resume and a description of the type of internship you’d like to create to natureandhealth@uw.edu.

2026 Interns

Maya Keenan (she/they)

2026 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTERN

Maya Keenan is a fourth-year Environmental Studies major at the University of Washington with a minor in Urban Design and Planning. Throughout her studies and future career, she hopes to help shape cities to become more equitable and sustainable, which includes ensuring that all people can access and engage freely with urban green spaces. She is excited to work with the Center on her capstone project which involves creating a directory of nature and health champions composed of various local community leaders, producing a valuable resource that can aid in future collaboration and communication. In her free time, Maya enjoys walking, DJing, and doing puzzles.

2025 Interns

Kristina Gerard Canonizado (she/her)

2025 SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

Kristina is a fourth-year Environmental Studies major with a minor in Law, Society, and Justice. As an environmentalist and activist, she is passionate about advocating for environmental justice and equity. Her capstone project centered on the effects of green space inequity and how the City of Seattle confronts it through multiple initiatives. In her internship role with the Center, Kristina synthesized scientific articles on green space benefits for marginalized urban communities and conducted community surveys on community green space experiences.

Final presentation

Solveig Smith (she/her)

2025 SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

Solveig Smith is an upcoming senior at the University of Washington Seattle studying Public Health-Global Health with a minor in Law, Societies, and Justice. She is looking forward to spending her summer at EarthLab working at the Center for Nature and Health. She is curious about the intersections around environmental and human health and exploring ways to communicate scientific research in a more accessible way. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she is enthusiastic about fostering connection between people and the outdoors. She is an aspiring public health practitioner who is passionate about health equity and engaging with communities to implement tangible solutions to a wide array of public health problems.

2024 Interns

Hope Flanigan (she/her)

2024 HEALTHCARE COST SAVINGS INTERN

Hope Flanigan is a rising senior at the University of Washington, studying Public Health – Global Health. This summer, she is excited to work as one of the Healthcare Savings of Time Spent in Nature interns alongside the Nature and Health team. Growing up in Washington, her passion for the outdoors began at an early age. In college, this passion grew as she began to learn more about the connections between access to nature and health outcomes within communities. As a result, Hope is eager to work with communities to increase access to green spaces and promote outdoor accessibility. In her future career as a public health practitioner, she hopes to collaborate with communities to make research more accessible and bridge the gaps of research implementation. In her free time, Hope enjoys hiking, making pottery, and listening to music.

Final Presentation

Chikita Nigam (she/her)

2024 HEALTHCARE COST SAVINGS INTERN

Chikita Nigam is a third-year student at the University of Washington where she is pursuing a double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science. Originally from India, Chikita moved to Seattle for college and quickly fell in love with the lush landscapes and vibrant culture of the Pacific Northwest. Her academic focus is deeply rooted in addressing global environmental issues through effective policy-making and governance. She is especially driven to explore the intersection of climate policy and social justice, aiming to develop equitable solutions that protect communities disproportionately impacted by environmental changes. Beyond her studies, Chikita is a trained Indian Classical singer, a passion that keeps her connected to her cultural heritage and enhances her creativity. She’s also an avid traveler, values quality time with friends, and savors exploring Seattle’s vibrant culinary scene.

Final Presentation

2023 Interns

Rohini Achal (she/her)

2023 SUMMER POLICY INTERN

Rohini Achal is a rising senior at UW, pursuing an Honors degree in Public Health – Global Health with a minor in Public Policy from the University of Washington, Seattle. Rohini is an aspiring public health practitioner, lawyer hopeful, seeking to pursue a master’s degree in public health focusing on health systems and policy and/or a law degree with a focus in public health law. Rohini has a passion for anti-racist and equitable public health policy creation and implementation, specifically surrounding programs, practices, and policies focused on nature contact and human health.

Rohini joins Nature and Health through EarthLab as a Nature and Health Policy Intern this summer. She working with another wonderful intern and the Nature and Health research team to identify policy involvement opportunities. She is helping review the public health literature (including novel studies), interview public and private sector stakeholders involved in local and state-level policy efforts and identify appropriate opportunities for involvement given the scope of N&H’s capabilities. Rohini is excited about the impact of Nature and Health’s work and hopes to continue pursuing policy research in the future.

In her spare time, you can find Rohini reading non-fiction and memoir books and playing with her three-year-old French Water Dog, Hugo.

9 Things I Learned in 9 Weeks as an EarthLab Intern

Amy Flores (she/her)

2023 SUMMER POLICY INTERN

Amy Flores is a 2023 UW Seattle graduate from the Department of Public Health – Global Health. During her time at UW, she became passionate about environmental health and equity, and addressing health inequities at times of climate crises. She hopes to further study the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities and the implementation of sustainable greening and forestry development. She has enjoyed learning more about current policy efforts relating to nature exposure and human health and will take her learnings forward in her career journey!

2022 Interns

Andrea Gonzalez (she/they)

INDIGENOUS WELLNESS RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IWRI) INTERN

Andrea Gonzalez is studying Biomedical Sciences and Gender and Sexuality. After learning about the role of intersectionality in health outcomes in minority populations, they became passionate about innovating health practices that are equitable and culturally appropriate. Andrea is excited to be working with the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute as a research intern.

Andrea is helping develop a global land-based healing and environmental health annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography will explore the themes of land-based healing, outdoor educational experiences, physiological responses and measurement to being outdoors, and environmental and human health in Indigenous communities. They will join a work group discussing refining a land-based healing model, which other Indigenous Nations can implement across the world. Andrea will co-develop a community report on land-based healing and wellness to be shared with communities in the PNW and across the US and New Zealand.

Heaven Denham (she/her)

GREEN SCHOOLYARDS PROJECT INTERN

Heaven Denham is an aspiring environmental scientist, joining us as an intern on the Green Schoolyards project with the Trust For Public Land. She is graduating in 2023 with a degree in Environmental Science, concentrating in Geoscience from the University of Washington Tacoma. She is passionate about environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and everything earth science related.

Heaven is supporting community engagement efforts to promote the Green Schoolyards project, which aims to renovate and open the public five existing schoolyards in Tacoma’s Eastside. The schoolyards provide quality nature experiences for community members that will increase health, education, and climate/environmental justice and benefits. She is helping assemble a toolkit to share evaluation measures and other findings with practitioners and researchers. She will attend community meetings, community celebrations, local events, community input and feedback sessions, and engage with local partners.