While at the University of Vermont, Mary focused on traditional ecological knowledge and agroecology, studying the intersection of cultural conservation and environmental conservation. During her studies, she spent time in Botswana, where she conducted research in the Okavango Delta and worked with local communities on human-wildlife conflict. After school she traveled throughout Europe, Central America, and Sri Lanka, to understand the diverse ways in which culture impacts the land, as well as learn videography skills for storytelling. Mary first came to know the profound impact of student travel in 2017, when she received a National Geographic Student Expeditions scholarship to study wildlife throughout Australia. While there, she served as editor for a student magazine, and contributed with an article on preservation of the Daintree Rainforest through Aboriginal knowledge. Mary has also learned an array of healing traditions and folk medicine, having studied with teachers in Mexico, Israel, the U.S., and her own lineage in Italy. Aside from her interest in the confluence of tradition and land stewardship, Mary is passionate about working with youth of all backgrounds. For many years she has taught social skills groups to youth on the spectrum, mentored youth in low-income communities, and taught art through immersive curriculum. Mary now speaks throughout elementary schools in New York, educating youth on American Indian culture, through a scope of accuracy and authenticity. This fall, Mary will serve as Project Coordinator for an organization that connects Indigenous Elders around the world, co-creating solutions for global issues that humankind faces today. She is excited to facilitate a conference of the elders this fall in Hawaii, which will be centered on Native perspectives related to climate change.
