Blog

Meet the OEC Interns – Chloe Quin

Ohio Environmental Council, July 27, 2021

This summer, the OEC had the pleasure of hosting five amazing interns to work with us on a variety of different projects and campaigns related to local and state-wide issues in Ohio. Our legal intern, Chloe Quin, assisted Chris Tavenor on a series of legal actions to protect our democracy and environment. Read more about Chloe’s experience in environmental advocacy below:

Hi all! I’m Chloe Quin, a law student at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law currently residing in Columbus, Ohio with my furry companion, my cat named Suki. I am very excited to be joining the OEC team as a legal intern this summer to advocate for the protection of Ohio’s natural resources while striving to ensure equitable access to clean water and energy for all Ohio communities. 

From a young age, I have been passionate about the environment, with a particular focus on wildlife conservation.  I grew up learning from my wildlife-advocate idols like Jane Goodall, David Attenborough, and Dian Fossey. If you would have asked me who I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have almost certainly responded with, “Steve Irwin.” These conservationists sparked my fascination with wildlife and the natural world that would eventually lead me to my career path as an environmental lawyer.  During my undergraduate studies as a Wildlife Conservation major at Ohio University, I had the opportunity to travel to the Bahamas to study marine life and to South Africa for an internship on a wildlife reserve. It was during these experiences that I began to understand the true gravity of the climate crisis our planet is currently facing. 

In the Bahamas, I studied and witnessed first-hand the impacts of coral bleaching, a process where coral expels symbiotic algae that are necessary to its survival because of increased ocean temperatures or other stressors, leaving behind a monochromatic wasteland that was previously vibrant and teaming with life.  

While I was working in South Africa on a wildlife reserve, sadly one of the rhinos on the neighboring reserve was shot and killed for its horn. Rhinos are being wiped out from much of their former strongholds today, an unfortunate similarity shared with much of the planet’s wild species. After these experiences, I felt even more spurred into action to pursue a career in environmental law, so I could prevent further acceleration of the dramatic loss of biodiversity we are faced with today.  After my experiences with disappearing marine habitat and African wildlife, I reflected more on the inevitable impacts the sixth mass extinction would soon have closer to home. I realize that there may come a time where I do not encounter very much wildlife on the trails I once hiked as a kid, that perhaps soon there would not be very many fish left in Lake Erie, and eventually it may be difficult to find an undisturbed forest in my home state of Ohio. 

The harsh reality that the natural world around me may be quickly disappearing compelled me to act and ensure that future projections for the environment do not become a reality. That is why I wanted to become an environmental lawyer and ensure climate change is brought under control. It is a multifaceted issue, reaching into many areas including environmental racism, a biodiversity crisis, and impending threats to democracy.  

I believe that the OEC’s commitment to putting climate change at the forefront of their efforts aligns perfectly with my personal mission to mitigate the current threats to healthy land and wildlife from the devastating effects of the climate crisis. The OEC’s strategic plan to tackle environmental threats from all fronts including facilitating equitable access to natural resources, like clean drinking water, for marginalized communities, protecting Ohio’s forests and wildlife, and advocating for fair representation in government will help ensure Ohio’s natural places remain intact for years to come.  

I am very excited to assist with projects this summer that help the OEC accomplish their commitment to tackling climate change.

Chloe Quin, legalintern@theoec.org