Jorja Hooper – Strengthening Hazard Mitigation Planning Services in Maine
2023 Mitchell Center Intern
Academic Program: Ecology & Environmental Sciences, University of Maine
Project: Strengthening Hazard Mitigation Planning Services in Maine
Team Leaders: Sam Roy, Maine Emergency Management Agency and Adam Daigneault, UMaine School of Forest Resources
Why are you interested in the problem you are working on?
I’m interested in Maine hazard mitigation because growing up in Maine I have seen first-hand the devastating effects hazards can have on local communities. Especially with the increase in hazardous weather events due to climate change.
How could your work contribute to a sustainable future in Maine and beyond?
Building resilience in Maine communities through hazard mitigation will allow for a community to recover faster and more seamlessly after a hazard. By understanding how the cost of hazard mitigation compares to restoration, local Maine governments and beyond will be able to use this information to better allocate funding allowing for less disturbance following hazardous events.
What do you feel are the most important skills that you bring to your internship?
I feel the most important skills I bring to my internship are my love of data, my motivation to make this information accessible, and my passion for helping Maine communities.
What have you learned through your participation in this internship?
So far in my participation in this internship I have begun to understand how interconnected communities and their mitigation efforts are, and what barriers they may be facing. I’m excited to keep learning through the duration of my internship.
What are your personal goals for this internship? What do you hope to accomplish?
My personal goals for this internship are to improve my data analysis skills, while producing accessible information that will benefit communities.
How do you like to spend your free time/down time?
I like to spend my free time outside in the sun! I love to fly fish, hike, camp, canoe, ski, anything that gets me outside in the fresh air experiencing nature!
What’s your ultimate Maine experience?
My ultimate Maine experience is a tie between canoeing the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, and summiting Mount Katahdin in a snowstorm.