Outlook Magazine - Fall 2025

Preserving Our Wild Places P.S.M. conservation biology alums across the globe

A cleaner, greener, healthier B.V.I.

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ast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea, lies the British Virgin Islands, an archipelago made up of four main islands and more than 50 smaller islands. As senior project manager at Green

VI, a nonprofit focused on environmental improvements and sustainable practices on the British Virgin Islands, Natasha Harrigan (’20) seeks to create positive human behavior change to lessen the impact of stressors on the environment. “Coming from a territory made up of small islands, rocks and cays that are filled with endemic flora and fauna, I understand the intricacy of small ecosystems and how inter connected they all are. The loss of any part of these systems can have lasting effects. The conservation of our wild places is very important, more now than ever due to climate change and human impact,” said Harrigan, who completed her professional science mas ter’s degree in the midst of two hurricanes. Harrigan, who also worked with the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands, is responsible for the infrastructural and curric ulum development of 11 public school garden classrooms, including at BVI’s largest high school, Elmore Stoutt High School, in Road Town. “I mostly work with students in the school gardens. The trickle effect of the behavior change from students to parents is always great and proves positive results, which I am always proud of,” she said. Harrigan is responsible for the development and maintenance of two Green VI Ecopark Gardens and the development of the territo ry’s organics management plan. “This plan will have long-lasting effects

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University of Wisconsin-Stout