Marcus Welker is our July AYEA Grad in Action!
Currently, Marcus Welker is interning for the Anchorage Waterways Council, where he is developing an “Adopt-A-Stream” program to complete the requirements of his Masters of Science degree in Aquatic Resource Management from King’s College, University of London. The “Adopt-A-Stream” program will offer community and school groups, institutions, and businesses, the chance to protect, monitor, and improve local streams.
Prior to going to London for his MS Program, Marcus obtained his Bachelors of Science in Natural Sciences from the University of Alaska Anchorage in May 2009. Marcus was an integral part of the sustainability movement while at UAA, participating in Student Government as the Chair of the Sustainability Council, managing the Sustainability Club, and as a Student Representative on the Chancellors Council for Sustainability. Marcus successfully organized a trip for himself and several other students to attend the Power Shift 2007 Conference, the first youth-led summit on climate change. Marcus’ UAA group and the AYEA group coordinated lobbying efforts and tackled the job of presenting our ideas on climate change to Alaska’s three federal representatives while in Washington, D.C. Marcus has continued to support AYEA, by being a stalwart advocate for all of the values those at AYEA hold dear.
In the fall, Marcus will be attending Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH where he will begin his PhD in the Ecology program studying historical reconstructions of salmon populations. One day Marcus hopes to return to Alaska to begin managing Alaskan salmon populations in a more long-term sustainable manner, so that those who come after us will respect our management decisions. Go Marcus!
