Meet Juliana Merluccio

LIS Partnership’s new Habitat Restoration Coordinator for New York

Juliana Merluccio is the LIS Partnership’s new habitat restoration coordinator in New York. She works for NEIWPCC in a position based out of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Division of Marine Resources in Kings Park, Long Island. She was recently interviewed by LIS Partnership communications staff for a Q and A.

• Can you briefly describe your job at NEIWPCC?

I’m an Environmental Analyst with NEIWPCC but I sit in a NYSDEC office as the Habitat Restoration Coordinator for the LIS Partnership. My role is to facilitate, coordinate, and track projects that fulfill the Partnership’s objectives under the Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife Working goal. This includes co-chairing the Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife Work Group which brings together a community of environmental stewards and restoration practitioners.

• You grew up on Long Island. How does the perspective of being a resident of Long Island affect how you see the work you do?

I actually grew up in the Bronx on Pelham Bay, well within the LIS watershed. I have friends and family on LI and the island has been my family’s summer vacation destination since I was a baby. Spending my summers swimming in the ocean and snorkeling in the bays inspired me to pursue a conservation biology career in the first place. Being able to apply my skills and knowledge to LI conservation is a very special full circle moment for me. Now being a full-time resident, I see my work as not only for the benefit to the environment but also to the people in my community.

• You’ve worked seasonally on a few different seasonal projects, including a stint in Washington in 2016. What drew you back to the east coast?

Yes, I spent quite a while on the West Coast. What drew me back was my family and friends but also the familiar places that I missed. I started to think about how I could apply what I learned in my jobs to the ecology and conservation on the East Coast. I started to think about and view my favorite environments and places differently. With every visit home I began to be more interested in the ecology, conservation, and protection of the places I loved, which had shaped my appreciation for the natural world. I started to wonder who was taking care of these places and I felt a strong desire to join the conversation community on Long Island.

• NEIWPCC has employees all over New England and New York, reaching the upper watershed of the Long Island Sound. What excites you about working and connecting with “NEIWPCCers” from other locations?

First and foremost, NEIWPCCers are a friendly, passionate, and welcoming bunch of folks. This is one of the main reasons I feel so lucky to be a part of this organization. Also, NEIWPCC is involved in so many aspects of environmental stewardship in ways that are different from the other organizations that I have worked for. For example, it trains and certifies wastewater treatment plant operators and staffs the Lake Champlin Basin Program’s Resource Room dedicated to environmental education. NEIWPCCers work on programs and projects that protect the environment while caring for people and communities. The focus on communities means that there are NEIWPCC resources I can share with my family and friends that directly benefit their health and wellbeing and that of the places they live, like the Long Island Garden Rewards Program.

• I know you’ve only been in your job for a few weeks (as of the publishing of this newsletter). What are some of the most pressing topics, or issues, in the Sound that you’re most excited to tackle?

I’m very excited to support restoration projects that improve the quality, quantity, connectivity, and public access of coastal habitats such salt marshes, eelgrass beds, and river corridors. With these projects it can be a challenge to plan, permit, and implement projects on the ground. The Partnership has the resources and expertise to help landowners, managers and communities take action to conserve and protect their lands and waters. I’m excited to support this by connecting landowners to resources, subject matter experts and funding opportunities.

• What’s your favorite type of habitat? If you could be any organism living in that habitat, what would you be?

Oh no, I dread these types of questions, I can never pick one. My fixation for the last few years has been on salt marshes, and I would love to be a diamondback terrapin at home in a thriving salt marsh!