NCA is excited to welcome our 2025 TIDALS Research Fellows: Jackie, Rendy, Alex, Christel, and Tiffany!
For 10 weeks this summer, this cohort of five will be studying shoreline habitats in Newtown Creek, helping our ongoing marine-focused restoration projects, and designing independent research projects. Their work will support our larger efforts for improved water quality and increased habitat restoration. Say hi to them around the Creek, and stay tuned for their final presentations in August.
The TIDALS Fellowship program is made possible with funding from a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Community Impact Grant.
Jacqueline (Jackie) Bonilla is a graduating senior at New Utrecht High School who’s always been passionate about the environment. She started exploring this passion through her school’s Green Team and through research-based programs all across New York – the place she’s lived in all her life. In hopes of having a career where she can help preserve the environment she loves, she plans to major in Environmental Studies as an incoming freshman at Dartmouth College.
Rendy Cabral is a rising senior at Stony Brook University who grew up in East New York. He has loved learning about marine ecosystems since he was a kid visiting the beaches of the Dominican Republic with his family. This passion has followed him throughout his academic career and has allowed him to study various marine organisms and the ecosystems in which they reside. Rendy wants to further explore how the history of pollution in New York’s waterways has impacted marine organisms, as well as what we can do to help.
Alexander Shannon is a Greenpoint native, and is excited to be joining the TIDALS fellowship! He is interested in wildlife conservation all over the world, and has studied the effects of tidal estuary degradation in multiple states and countries. Currently, he is a rising sophomore at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, UK specializing in physical and human geography.
Christel Vasquez is an environmental science student at LaGuardia Community College interested in the conservation of nature. She enjoys learning how ecosystems work and how we can protect them. Her interests include biodiversity, climate change, and restoring natural spaces in cities. She developed a deep love for nature after spending part of her life in a biodiverse country, where she learned how important it is to appreciate and protect what we have. Christel is excited to work with the Newtown Creek Alliance and contribute to any project that makes a positive impact on both people and the environment.
Tiffany Zheng was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn but moved to Bay Ridge during high school. She is a rising senior at Stony Brook University with a major in Environmental Studies, minoring in Ecosystems and Human Impact. Her interest in learning about environmental conservation and sustainability began after taking an AP Environmental Science class in high school. Tiffany is interested in exploring and connecting these aspects to hands-on experience to help mitigate current and future environmental issues. In the future, she hopes to do research and field work related to conserving biodiversity and ecology by working with environmental organizations and communities!
