Andrea van Wyk is a Conservation Project Manager at the National Aquarium, where she educates, engages, and empowers South Baltimore City communities in restoration and stewardship efforts via the Masonville Cove Urban Wildlife Partnership. Additionally she serves on the Executive Team of Baltimore's Cities Connecting Children to Nature Initiative, which seeks to create equitable access to nature for children and youth. She discovered her passion for urban conservation work while studying at Johns Hopkins University for her Bachelor’s degree in Global Environmental Change & Sustainability. After graduating in 2014, with a personal goal to stay local and work with Baltimore communities, Andrea spent three years working to secure a full time position in the environmental field. During that time she served as a Volunteer Event Coordinator with Sierra Club, a Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer with Chesapeake Bay Trust, and a Gwynns Falls Trail Outreach Coordinator with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. All listed experiences have built her up to the position she now holds, as she strives to always appropriately and consciously engage racially and socioeconomically diverse audiences.