Hello, I'm Ashley Castillo, a recent graduate from Umass Amherst with a degree in the Natural Resources field. As I embark on my second year with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I can't help but reflect on the incredible experiences that have shaped my journey so far. 

Hello all! My name is Ashley Castillo. I am an undergraduate student attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I am part of the Natural Resouce Conservation field majoring in Wildlife conservation. One thing these classes have taught me is about our environment and the importance of staying sustainable and taking care of the planet on which we live in. Growing up in an urban community there was a lack of connection between the community and nature. In most instances, the most 'nature' I saw daily were trees planted on the sidewalks. As time progressed those street trees began to disappear and my daily view of nature disappeared with that as well. 

Ashley Castillo is a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She grew up in the city of Boston where conservation was not a common topic. Senior year of high school, she moved to a new town where she was able to finally experience the outdoors in ways that she was not able to in the city. This encouraged her to create change in her community for the better. Castillo is an intern at the wildlife refuge in Hadley and hopes to gain experience in the conservation area to support her community.