By Erin Nixon 
Hi! My name is Erin Nixon, and I’m a senior at Florida State University studying Marketing with a minor in Environment and Society. This summer I had the privilege of serving as a Sustainability Fellow through a partnership between FSU Sustainable Campus and Apalachicola Riverkeeper. The Fellow’s program connects students with local nonprofits to tackle real sustainability challenges, and I was fortunate to be matched with Apalachicola Riverkeeper. From the start, I knew I wanted to contribute to protecting the Apalachicola River and Bay, but I didn’t realize just how much I would learn about the power of communication and community in conservation.
Learning by Doing
One of my main projects was a website audit. I had never worked with website design before, so this was a great learning experience. I spent time navigating through every page, thinking about how someone new to Apalachicola Riverkeeper might experience the site. Could they find information quickly? Was the donation process easy? Did the visuals help tell the story of the river? From this, I put together recommendations to simplify the navigation bar, add more visuals and infographics, and make the overall look and feel more consistent. My goal was to help make the website as welcoming and clear as the Riverkeeper team itself.
Turning Science into Stories
Another highlight for me was creating an infographic on slough restoration. Before this fellowship, I had never thought much about sloughs, but after reading a 24-page research paper and diving into site resources, I realized how essential they are for the river’s health. Translating that technical information into a visual story that anyone could understand was one of the most rewarding parts of my work. It showed me that science doesn’t have to feel distant or complicated. When explained visually and in simple language for all people, not just experts, it can inspire people to care and get involved.
Finding My Voice in Advocacy
I also contributed to the Kill the Drill campaign, which fought for HB1143, a bill to permanently ban oil drilling near the Apalachicola River. My role was to design a rally poster with a QR code that linked directly to an email campaign. Even though my position was remote, it was meaningful to know that people at the rally could use my design to take action in real time. Helping support the protection of the Apalachicola River and Bay with the passage of HB1143 has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at FSU. It reminded me that communication and design can make advocacy more accessible and impactful, no matter where the creator is located.
Looking Ahead
This fellowship gave me so much more than professional experience. It gave me a deeper connection to the Apalachicola River, an appreciation for the people who dedicate themselves to protecting it, and the confidence to use my skills for causes that matter. This has been an incredible learning experience, and I’m so grateful to have contributed, even in a small way, to such an important cause. Helping support the protection of the Apalachicola River and Bay from drilling with the passage of HB1143 has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at FSU. I’m thankful our message reached so many of you and inspired action. I feel so much more connected to the North Florida region I now call home.
I am grateful to FSU Sustainable Campus for creating opportunities for students to apply what we learn in the classroom to real world challenges, and to Apalachicola Riverkeeper for welcoming me into their mission. I also had the pleasure of working with Cameron Baxley, Riverkeeper at Apalachicola Riverkeeper, and Chris Watkins, a board of directors member for Apalachicola Riverkeeper and the Academics and Partnerships Coordinator for FSU Sustainable Campus. This partnership showed me the power of collaboration between universities and nonprofits, and how together, we can inspire action and protect the places we love.
