Lower Winooski River

Program coordinators act as the core organizer of their local VMN program. They maintain contact with VMN participants and help organize volunteer projects.  They attend field trainings for free and also receive a stipend for the year.

Erin O’Neill is the program coordinator for the Lower Winooski River and a graduate of the Vermont Master Naturalist MRV Program (2023-24).

Erin lives in Waterbury due to the area’s unparalleled access to the outdoors. She is excited about the MRV Program because she believes that understanding and engaging with the place you call home is essential for cultivating a meaningful relationship with the Earth.

Erin’s passion for the outdoors began in her hometown in Northeast Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. She spent time exploring the Delaware River Valley, Catskills, and Adirondacks with her family- her boundless energy for trails and nature has been a constant throughout her life.

Her love for nature and outdoor recreation led her to Vermont, where she earned her B.S. in Plant Ecology and Evolution from the University of Vermont (UVM). At UVM, Erin engaged in research and studied plant taxonomy both in the Champlain Valley and abroad in Costa Rica. She furthered her academic journey with an M.S. in Biology, focusing on the intricate interactions between plants, fungi, and pollinators.

Currently, Erin serves as a Biology Teaching Lab Coordinator at UVM, where she educates undergraduate students in ecology and evolution and supports graduate students in their teaching goals. To stay connected with the younger community, she works as a children’s ski instructor each winter and runs a small business offering ecology programs for kids.

In her free time, Erin enjoys long-distance running, being in the mountains, and swimming in cold water. She is thrilled to be part of the Vermont Master Naturalist community where people love to be outside and learn about the land.