Hi, I’m Selina! So a little background story: I was born and raised on the island Ameland. This island lies in the middle of the Wadden Sea World heritage area in the northern part of the Netherlands. I grew up working in the hotel of my parents, so I have a lot of experience in the hospitality industry also due to my training as a hotel manager. In my childhood I also had a lot of beautiful nature around me.
Thanks to all of this, I have developed a passion for the protection and conservation of the marine environment with a main focus on whales, dolphins and other marine animals through research and environmental education.
I started my Bachelor Coastal zone management with major Marine Biology. For this bachelor study I did an internship with DMAD for a total of 9 months to assist Aylin with her PhD thesis on the interaction between cetaceans and the marine traffic in the Bosporus, Istanbul. Despite the fact that her thesis had nothing to do with the hospitality industry I still put some of my experience and skills to good use in the field and in the office. I enjoyed living and working with her there and learned a lot in those few months!
I recently graduated and, by coincidence, Aylin and I came into contact again. Long story short…now I am back at DMAD as a Volunteer Coordinator for the Montengero Dolphin Research project! I hope I can be a good addition to DMAD team!
I have been here for a week now and have experienced so much, it reminds me of the adventurous time I had in Istanbul, it’s like coming home! And that’s the charm of the Balkans!
To find out more about our internships and volunteering opportunities, please click here!
