Spotlight: Jay Byrd, 2026 Delaware River Watershed Fellow

Jay Byrd is the 2026 Alliance of Watershed Education (AWE) Delaware River Watershed Fellow at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center.

Jay’s primary job is to help lead and organize educational programs and outreach. As part of his capstone project, Jay also created a floating basking dock for turtles and a sign detailing the area’s common turtle species.

Jay recently produced a viral reel on the @fairmountww Instagram account detailing the fascinating aquatic life of some of the Schuylkill River’s smaller inhabitants. The reel has attracted over 29,000 likes and was even featured on a segment of 6ABC News, for which Jay was interviewed!

Read Jay’s full interview below.

Why did you decide to apply for the Alliance for Watershed Education’s (AWE) Delaware River Watershed Fellowship at Fairmount Water Works?

I had already been working for Fairmount Water Works as an independent contractor for over a year and absolutely loved it. So when they offered me a full-time summer Fellowship, I enthusiastically accepted. I was an Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE) Fellow in 2023 for the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, so it is a joy to be a fellow again under a different center.

What are your main responsibilities at Fairmount Water Works?

My main responsibility is leading and organizing educational programs and outreach with the rest of the education team. As an AWE Fellow, I must also create and complete a capstone project by the end of my internship. My capstone project involves creating a floating basking dock for turtles and a sign detailing the turtle species most commonly found in the area.

Was there any aspect of your internship that you found to be particularly challenging?

Fitting my entire project into the short few months I am here, while simultaneously leading groups and programs, has proven to be a difficult but possible feat.

What have you enjoyed most about your time at Fairmount Water Works? Did you have any favorite programs or activities?

I really enjoyed working with the Education team. The staff is wonderful and always supportive.

Has your experience at Fairmount Water Works changed anything about how you see the role of the urban watershed in our daily lives?

Learning the history of the Schuylkill, and how it was so bad that it was considered biologically dead, was greatly eye-opening. Because it means the river has been at its worst, but due to pressure from environmentalists and communities, it is in a much better state and continues to improve as a habitat every day. It gives me hope for this field and the future of conservation efforts.