Farewell To Our Intern, Natalie!

Communications and Social Media Intern Natalie Estrada graduated from Seattle University this summer and completed her internship with WEAN in September.

"I think that the work you guys do is super important. I'm glad that somebody is doing it. Being a part of it was so special for me."

WEAN Engagement Director Amanda Bullis chats with Communications and Social Media Intern Natalie Estrada about her time interning with WEAN in the spring and summer of 2025 for course credit. Natalie graduated from Seattle University with a degree in Communications in June.

Bullis: I am really excited for you. I'm sad that you're leaving. But it's also part of the process, right? You're gonna be doing awesome things in your life and for the world. Before you go, I want to understand from you what you learned while working with us.

Estrada: I learned so much about the island itself. I took my mom [to Whidbey] recently, and I was telling her about the stinging nettle and the plants that are the antidote to it. Working on different assignments for you guys, like the queerness in nature [blog], I learned so much. I didn't know any of those animals were queer. Now I see a banana slug and [I know about them].

I really enjoyed learning about what you do. I didn't know any of it before, how you guys advocate for Whidbey Island. Whenever I tell anybody I work for an environmental action group, they usually don't really know what that means. So [I tell them] whenever anyone's doing anything they shouldn't be doing, they figure out what law they're violating, and take them to court.

Oh! Another thing I learned really well with you guys, and I talk about this in [job] interviews, is fact-checking everything and citing my sources. [When] they're like, “What's something you've learned from your past jobs?” I bring that up every time.

Bullis: Do you feel like you have more tools to be an advocate or activist yourself, after working with us?

Estrada: Yeah, definitely. I feel like [this internship] made me love Washington a lot more because I got to explore so much more because of our outings. And it made me learn so much more about what's going on with different laws and things that are happening around me, near me, and things that shouldn't be happening. So I definitely look out for that stuff.

Bullis: What is your favorite fact that you learned about nature or ecosystems while working with us?

Estrada: I loved hearing about [Bruiser the Elk]. I took my mom to Whidbey, and I was telling her the whole story about him, and she was like, ”He's the only one?!” I think it's just such a cool and crazy story. I love that [his story] is passed down, and now whenever anyone else hears about it, I feel like it's unconscious, you wanna look for him.

Bullis: Is there anything else you want people to know about your experience with us?

I loved working with you guys, and I think that the work you guys do is super important. I'm glad that somebody is doing it. Being a part of it was so special for me. [I’m happy] that somebody is taking care of the island, because I love it there so much. Getting to help out, in exchange, was really important to me.

Bullis: Well, we loved having you, Natalie. I'm going to miss you, and I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into your internship. I use your templates for everything, and I'm so appreciative of them. Communications are integral to messaging for any organization, and the work you did was really important to me, and it was valuable to the mission. Thank you so much.