Halley Feil

Conservation Related Experience:
During the summer, I interned at a dry forest reserve on the coast of Ecuador studying howler monkeys and working with geographical information systems (GIS) to create maps of their locations. It wasn’t just the monkeys I was interested in though. My experiences in conservation have been as varied as they come: creating a sculpture signifying ocean acidification in Olbrich gardens, volunteering at Henry Vilas Zoo, deer tagging, State park naturalist programs, and being a board member for the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation’s CLC Program have all taught me that conservation is not just about saving the monkeys…it’s about connecting people with one another and their environment.

Connection to Conservation Biology:
Seeing this connection, and the decline in funding for conservation projects, I wanted to find an easy, creative way people could get involved in conservation. I came up with a benefits card program called “Eco Perks” that would allow citizens to purchase a card at participating local businesses in Dane County and get discounts at any store participating when they show their card. A portion of every card purchase goes directly to Dane County conservation projects such as cleaning up lake Mendota or installing solar panels by the airport! This system gives everyone a chance to get involved in conservation and be able to see the changes being made right here in Madison!