Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper Internship: Spotlight on Jenny Ha

In July 2025, Blue Water Baltimore hosted our first-ever cohort of Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper interns for a two-week intensive “bootcamp” style immersive learning experience. The opportunity was generously funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Maryland Department of the Environment under the Healthy Environment, Healthy Communities Grant Program. Hear how the internship helped shape the next generation of Baltimore’s environmental stewards in their own words:

My name is Jenny Ha, and I have had the pleasure of participating in the 2025 Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper Bootcamp! To provide a brief background of myself, my passion for the environment stemmed from a desire to help everyone. It felt natural to give service to others. This is what led me to serving in the Maryland Conservation Corps, to studying Environmental Science and Policy at UMD, and ultimately to Blue Water Baltimore. What enticed me about this internship was the opportunity to interact with community members and to experience first-hand the issues that plague the urban landscape.

The bootcamp absolutely delivered on that promise: we met with land trusts, community leaders, and legislators (including the Mayor of Baltimore!), and we were able to explore so many different parts of the city.  

My most memorable moments would be going on urban toxic waste tours. Our first tour was of East Baltimore. Mr. Glenn Ross told us the story of how landfills piled up six stories high alongside the two-story townhouses, and how institutes meant for helping children were placed near these landfills. Our second tour explored West Baltimore. The folks at South Baltimore Community Land Trust showed us CSX, which left mounds of open coal dust and yet denied its effects to the community. They also talked about how a medical waste incinerator was spewing black smoke and was illegally disposing of excess waste to a landfill. All of these big corporations and warehouses were moving into low-income communities, which are disproportionately communities of color, and leaving them to bear the effects. Listening to these stories were infuriating and inspiring all at the same time. In spite of all of these threats, the Baltimore community has found a way to survive and thrive. This has reinvigorated my desire for change, and this bootcamp has provided us the tools to help us spark that change. Thank you to Blue Water Baltimore for allowing me to be a part of this journey, and I hope that the internship continues to inspire future cohorts.