Ayelen Lucia “lucy” Crespo

Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Northeast Community Engagement Specialist
lcrespo@refugeassociation.org

Lucy is an Argentine native but lived most of her life in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She works with the Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Great Swamp, Cherry Valley, Wallkill River, and Shawangunk Grasslands NWR on their Urban Partnerships. Urban Partnerships consist of NJ Youth Corps-Phillipsburg, Groundwork Elizabeth, and Groundwork Hudson Valley, among others. As the new Urban Community Engagement Specialist in the Northeast, Lucy looks forward to enhancing the biodiversity within communities and creating accessibility for local residents. 

Lucy has a background in environmental advocacy, youth programs, conservation, trail maintenance, historic preservation, education, and community engagement. She studied Biology at Union County College while continuing her hands-on learning experience within Groundwork Elizabeth as the Director of Youth Initiatives. There she led her team to multiple national parks and national wildlife refuges across the country, preserving trails, restoring historic monuments, and enhancing habitat for wildlife. She has a passion for restoring underutilized open spaces and creating micro-ecosystems for the benefit of wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts. Lucy is excited to work in her new role to help carry out the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge Association within Urban Communities.

 
Featured
Urban Partners Team Up to Plant Trees in Chauncey Park for Earth Day
Lucy Crespo, Urban, Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Groundwork Hudson Valley, Groundwork, New York, NYC, New York City, Yonkers
Urban Partners Team Up to Plant Trees in Chauncey Park for Earth Day
Lucy Crespo, Urban, Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Groundwork Hudson Valley, Groundwork, New York, NYC, New York City, Yonkers

An Earth Month celebration was held on April 8, 2023, at Chauncey Park in Dobbs Ferry, NY, in collaboration with the National Wildlife Refuge Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Groundwork Hudson Valley, and Moms Organic Market. The event aimed to unite community members to stabilize the riparian habitat along the Sawmill River. Groundwork Hudson Valley led the planting of 68 potted dogwoods, elderberry, and birch trees along the banks of Sawmill River Island.

Lucy Crespo, Urban, Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Groundwork Hudson Valley, Groundwork, New York, NYC, New York City, Yonkers
New Urban Community Engagement Specialist Helps Expand Conservation Impact in New York, New Jersey
Lucy Crespo, Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Northeast Region, Northeast, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
New Urban Community Engagement Specialist Helps Expand Conservation Impact in New York, New Jersey
Lucy Crespo, Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Northeast Region, Northeast, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

As far back as she can remember, Lucy Crespo hasn’t liked being indoors. Maybe it’s in her genes: she was born in Argentina, surrounded by forests and mountains, lush grass and plants, and rivers that ran by her home. The air was crisp and sweet, the water clear.

That’s all a distant memory for her now. When she was four years old, Lucy and her family left home in search of a better and more prosperous life, eventually settling thousands of miles away in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Lucy Crespo, Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Northeast Region, Northeast, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Elizabeth Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Christmas Bird Count!
Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Lucy Crespo, Northeast Region, Northeast, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Elizabeth Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Christmas Bird Count!
Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Lucy Crespo, Northeast Region, Northeast, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Elizabeth, New Jersey is home to skyscrapers, parking lots, and one of the busiest seaports in the eastern United States, but may not immediately come to mind when thinking of a location for bird watching as part of the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. Appearances can be deceiving though, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Friends of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Groundwork Elizabeth, and the National Wildlife Refuge Association, successfully hosted their third-annual Christmas Bird Count in Elizabeth on December 17, 2022.

Urban Wildlife Refuge Program, Lucy Crespo, Northeast Region, Northeast, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey