Meet Amir Bird, our AmeriCorps Summer Associate!

Hello!

My name is Amir Bird, and I am eager to work with the Yadkin Riverkeeper team for the summer as a VISTA AmeriCorps Summer Associate! I am super excited to spend this summer learning and serving the Winston-Salem community, and beyond.

I am a rising senior at Wake Forest University. I study sociology, concentrating on the social determinants of health and well-being, along with neuroscience and chemistry at Wake Forest. Long story short, I am passionate about human and public health! At YRK, I aspire to utilize this in the scope of environmental sustainability for the Yadkin River Basin and its users.

My mission for this summer is plain and simple: to promote justice for the Yadkin River Basin and its residents. This summer, I want to inform community members about the benefits and hazards of the basin. Furthermore, I strive to empower community members to make smart, healthy decisions when consuming the water. I am currently doing this through my involvement with SwimGuide and frequent sampling of the Yadkin River. Additionally, I am taking a deeper dive into what is in the water of the Yadkin River. I am utilizing my interest in public health to investigate the health outcomes of consuming what is in the Yadkin River. From there, I plan to out outreach to community members. My goal is to enlighten them on the safety and protection of the Yadkin River.

I am overjoyed to be back in North Carolina this summer with such an amazing organization! Outside of YRK, I have been taking advantage of everything this wonderful state has to offer. I look forward to a summer full of hiking, water recreation, and sightseeing!