The following post was written by Abby Luna, our Wildlife Technician Intern for 2026. Originally from Texas, Abby traveled all the way to Oregon State University to earn her Bachelors degree in Environmental Science and has been on the move ever since. Prior to joining Nemours, Abby worked seasonal positions with the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon and with Archbold Biological Station in Florida. She joined us in January with valuable research and leadership experience and will be helping us with various wildlife monitoring projects on the property, as well as mentoring our upcoming summer interns. We’re absolutely thrilled to have Abby – and her passion for the outdoors – on our team!
Meet Abby
Hi everyone! My name is Abby Luna, and I am originally from Denton, Texas. I went to school at Oregon State University and graduated summa cum laude in 2024 with a Bachelors of Environmental Science, While at OSU I was in the honors college, where I wrote and published an undergraduate thesis, and was also involved in the gymnastics club. After graduating, I worked seasonal positions for the Bureau of Land Management in Eastern Oregon, Archbold Biological Station in Florida, and now I’m here in South Carolina working as the Wildlife Technician at Nemours Wildlife Foundation.
Photo 1: Abby wearing her graduation cords at Oregon State
For as long as I can remember I was always a big outdoor kid, looking under rocks and picking up rolly-pollies or lizards. I just loved the adventure of finding something new every time I went in my backyard. As I got older, I really grew to love science, and I constantly wanted to learn about the world around me. I read books filled with animal facts, watched the Discovery Channel, and constantly bugged my parents with the question “why?”. Getting to combine my love of science and the outdoors during my undergraduate studies really solidified that this field was the right place for me. I especially enjoy the interdisciplinary nature of this work and was able to take a wide variety of classes that reflected that. I also fell in love with birds during my time at OSU, and now I notice them everywhere I go.
Photo 2: Abby and her classmates out camping for their Field Methods in Ecological Restoration course
A typical day in my life starts with a 7am wake up, breakfast at the dormitory, and a quick 5-minute commute to work. I check in with Stephen, our wildlife scientist and my boss, to see what our plan is for the day. Most of the time I’m out in the field, either building Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) boxes near our wetlands, monitoring pollinators in our cattle pastures, checking on our Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis) cavities in the Pine Savannahs, or helping with any of the other cool wildlife research projects we have going on. There’s always a wide variety of ecosystems and species that we get to work on. After work, I either head into town to go to the gym or I head back to the dorm and relax. I like to read, watch sports (I’m a big Dallas sports fan), or work on art when I’m home. Living in a place as beautiful as Nemours, it’s easy to find inspiration!
Photo 3: Colored pencil drawing by Abby Luna of three duck species – Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), and Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
I am currently reading a book called “Mindworks” by Neil Shusterman. It is a collection of short stories that focuses on different scifi/dystopian/horror themes in each section. Neil Shusterman is one of my favorite authors, his “Unwind” and “Scythe” series are some of the best books I’ve ever read. I read A LOT of books in my free time, and I’ve had library cards in five states so far (TX, OR, FL, ID, SC). I also have a large collection of books back home that live on shelves my mom and I painted together.
Picture 4: Young Abby “reads” a book (upside down)
I’m really looking forward to all the new wildlife I’ll be working with – waterfowl, alligators, snakes, and so much more! It’s going to be hard to pick a favorite. I know that by the end of this position I will have so many more new experiences that I can take with me wherever I go next. I’m grateful for every new adventure this path has taken me on and I’m glad Nemours is a part of that adventure.
Picture 5: Abby holds her binoculars up towards a wetland
Internships at Nemours
At the heart of our mission is offering educational opportunities to young men and women embarking on their career paths. Our Research, Education, and Land Stewardship Internships are designed to be fully immersive experiences providing hands-on, practical training in conservation concepts, techniques, and methodologies. We invite undergraduate level juniors and seniors or recent graduates (≤ 2 years post-graduation) in the fields of biology, ecology, education, wildlife management, or other related field to submit an application for our internship programs.
If you would like to support our Research program, please click here to donate today.
