WRA Staff Spotlight: Ellie Reiff, Intern
April is World Landscape Architecture Month! To help celebrate, we are dedicating our most recent staff spotlight to Ellie Reiff, an undergraduate student interning with WRA this spring with our Riverscapes and Shorelines team. Ellie is working toward her Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley and is slated to graduate in 2024. WRA appreciates the opportunity to mentor and work alongside students like Ellie to help them gain hands-on experience and develop skills in the consulting environment. Ellie was kind enough to take the time to share some of her experiences in working with WRA.
Pictured above: WRA Intern Ellie Reiff installs data loggers to measure water elevations and salinity to support post-restoration monitoring of the East Bay Regional Park District’s Bay Point Wetland Restoration Project along the Suisun Bay shoreline. Photos by Geoff Smick and Cody Lambrecht.
Why did you want to join WRA’s internship program?
Ellie: I am more interested in restoration and ecological design than many traditional landscape architecture firms offer, and WRA is a leader in this space. It seemed like a great opportunity!
Do you have a mentor who has made a significant impact during your time at WRA?
Ellie: I met WRA’s Senior Restoration Landscape Designer Cody Lambrecht prior to joining and loved talking about river restoration-related things. Cody has been instrumental in my entire experience at the company.
What do you enjoy about working at WRA so far?
Ellie: The culture of care and support. From onboarding to regular check-ins, I’ve felt welcomed as part of a larger team, even as an intern.
Do you have a favorite project you are working on?
Ellie: As a current UC Berkeley student, having the opportunity to work on the West Oval Glade project [on the Berkeley campus] has been incredible. I pass by the site every day on my walk to class, so doing field work there and thinking about its restoration hits close to home (quite literally–I live a 5-minute walk away!).
What does WRA’s Vision, “Cultivating a sustainable future where people and the environment thrive” mean to you?
Ellie: I believe that people and the environment are intrinsically interconnected. In my view, landscape architecture plays a crucial role in restoring our connection with the world around us by designing thoughtful, multi-benefit spaces.
Before we wrap up – what do you do for fun outside of school and work?
Ellie: So many random fun projects! Including but not limited to: ceramics, sewing, cooking, jewelry-making, and gardening.
Thanks, Ellie for letting us learn more about you and being an integral part of our team! We look forward to the remainder of your internship with us and seeing what you accomplish after graduation – best of luck!
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To learn more about WRA’s company culture, we invite you to read more about us on our Culture & Careers page. If you’re interested in a career in environmental consulting or are already in the industry and have wondered what a more connected type of workplace might feel like, check out our job postings.
