On Interning at Island Press: CAKE and the Development Department

Hannah Robinson, a Development & Programs Intern, sheds some light on interning at Island Press

I joined the Island Press team in late May, eager to begin working and inspired by the organization’s dedication to the environmental movement. As an Environmental Studies major at the George Washington University, I had taken an array of climate science, human ecology and environmental policy classes. I was ready to utilize my knowledge to help assemble and spread a message to the public: students, academics and climate change practitioners. As the Development and Programs intern at Island Press, I work on CAKE, the online Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Exchange, and also with the Development team on daily tasks and longer term projects. CAKE is an online community through which organizations and individuals with a united interest in climate change adaptation can interact. Through my interactions with CAKE, I’ve broadened my knowledge on adaptation methods both domestically and internationally in various climates and ecosystems. The current urgency of climate change often prompts practitioners and activists to focus on mitigation, the prevention of global warming effects through a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. What is often overlooked by environmentalists, however, is the importance of an interdisciplinary adaptation plan to be formulated alongside mitigation methods. This is why I find CAKE to be such a critical resource, as it focuses on what we can be doing right now to reduce the vulnerability of our precious ecosystems and lessen the adverse impacts of climate change. Thus far, my experience at Island Press has been enjoyable, challenging and enlightening. I hope to be exposed to new perspectives within the environmental movement as well as further develop my appreciation for the nonprofit and publishing worlds.