The Barnegat Bay Partnership is thrilled to welcome Amy Lynn Johnson to our team during her term of service with the AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador Program!
A lifelong resident of the Barnegat Bay watershed, Amy brings a strong local perspective and is eager to share her knowledge with communities throughout the region.
Amy earned her Associate’s degree in General Science and her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science through the Kean Ocean partnership between Ocean County College and Kean University. Her hands-on experience includes her acceptance as a water quality researcher in the Student Grant Program for Save Barnegat Bay’s Bay Nettle project and later as their Environmental Outreach and Photography intern.
During her undergraduate studies, Amy joined Dr. Jun Cheng in a coastal erosion study that was published in 2023 by the William Morris Davis Journal of Geomorphology and which she presented at the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association Conference in Galveston, Texas. She also expanded her fieldwork experience internationally, studying tropical ecology in Blue Creek and South Water Caye, Belize.
Amy is not the first team member at the BBP who has participated in the AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador Program. Associate Director of Outreach Nina Sassano and Stewardship Specialist Caroline McFarland each served as members (Nina in 2011, Caroline in 2024 & 2025) before joining the BBP team.
The AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program (NJWAP), run by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, is a 10-month, full-time service opportunity that places recent college graduates or other committed individuals at a host agency in each of New Jersey’s 20 Watershed Management Areas (plus three Source Water Protection regions) to promote water quality and watershed stewardship. Ambassadors serve ~35-40 hours/week (1700 hours total), conducting stream health monitoring (both visual and biological assessments), leading community outreach and volunteer-based projects, delivering educational presentations, and engaging with citizens to raise awareness about pollution, conservation, and local watershed issues. In return, participants gain extremely valuable professional experience and connections in the field that help them move to the next steps in their careers as environmentalists.
We are excited to see the impact Amy will make during her AmeriCorps service year and look forward to the energy, expertise, and passion she brings to the Barnegat Bay Partnership. With her strong academic background, diverse field experience, and dedication to protecting our watershed, Amy will be a valuable resource to both our team and the communities we serve. Please join us in welcoming Amy to the BBP family!
