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Lia Nydes

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Education   

Master of Fine Arts

Environmental and Wildlife Filmmaking

American University, Washington, D.C.                                               

2019 - 2022 

Bachelor of Arts

Environmental Studies & Visual Arts                                                              

Minor: Biology                     

Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL 

Graduated December, 2015

Experience

Graduate Assistant                                                                                                                     

Larry Engel 

American University, Washington, D.C. 

• Plan and promote Classroom in the Wild field courses. 

• Operated Sony Fs5 on outdoor rock climbing shoots. 

• Create flyers for the Center for Environmental Filmmaking. 

September 2019 - Present 

Video Intern                                                                                                                        

Para La Tierra Foundation

Ñeembucú, Paraguay 

• Produced, wrote, filmed, and edited two short documentaries on conservation issues in Paraguay.

• Created a promotional film for the organization’s intern and volunteer opportunities.

• Photographed museum collection and assisted with ongoing conservation research.

• Lived in shared housing with coworkers. Working environment included intense heat, swamps, boats, forests, farmland, and nights.

​January 2019 - April 2019

Remote Backcountry Visitor Use Intern       

Student Conservation Association, National Park Service

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Bettles, Alaska

• Developed, filmed, and edited a documentary for the artist-in-residence backcountry patrol in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.

• Assisted entomologist with research while canoeing in the backcountry for a week. 

• Collected data for the Wilderness Character Monitoring project and the Soundscape Monitoring project. 

• Backpacked and canoed to remote sound stations. Performed maintenance and removed stations at the end of the season. 

• Provided daily backcountry orientations to visitors at the ranger station. 

• Presented monthly, engaging formal and informal interpretive programs to diverse audiences. 

​ May 2018 - October 2018

Digital Media and Education Intern            

Student Conservation Association/AmeriCorps, National Park Service

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Nome, Alaska          

• Co-created a documentary for the BioBlitz in the backcountry at Serpentine Hot Springs in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.  

• Supported the emotional and physical safety of 14 students throughout the BioBlitz. 

• Created inspiring and educational photographs and short films on arctic ecosystems and culture on a weekly basis. 

• Recorded the Inupiaq language with an elder in Shishmaref, a remote Alaskan village. Recordings were used for a digital story map. 

• Designed photography, video, and written posts for the park’s social media and website.

• Orchestrated a community photography project on local subsistence culture and coordinated with tribal councils.

• Co-headed and organized the Alappaa Film Festival.

• Communicated with visitors about the cultural and ecological significance of Bering Land Bridge.  

• Traveled to remote Alaskan villages to facilitate environmental education, photography, and team building lessons to students K-12.

• Instructed environmental education lessons at the Juvenile Detention Center. 

​ May 2017 - May 2018
 

Experiential Outdoor Facilitator                                                                      

Pathfinder Outdoor Education, St. Petersburg, FL                                                                       

• Facilitated experiential outdoor education with participants age kindergarten through adults.

• Implemented team challenges which focused on building a group’s environmental stewardship, empathy for one another and nature, while encouraging members to step outside their comfort zones.   

• Managed and supported groups on low challenge courses, high ropes courses both dynamic and static, tree climbing, and canoeing.

• Worked closely with coworkers to ensure emotional and physical safety of all participants.

​April 2016 - May 2017

Gallery Assistant                                                                                                                       

Carlton Ward Photography, Tampa, FL 

• Edited and organized photos for contribution to National Geographic’s Instagram.

• Assisted Carlton Ward in the field.

• Consulted with customers interested in artwork.

• Created and managed client’s folders using Adobe Lightroom.

​February 2016 - May 2017

Florida Wildlife Corridor Intern                                                                                       

Tampa Bay Area, FL                          

• Assisted with creating a Kickstarter campaign to fundraise the Florida Wildlife Corridor films and books.

• Educated the public about the Florida Wildlife Corridor at events and screenings.

• Researched and wrote legislator information documents promoting public environmental action.

​August 2015 - August 2016

Skills

Cameras: Sony Fs5, Sony A7RIV, Canon 5DMarkIII , DJI Mavic Pro 

Sound: Zoom, Tascam

Adobe Creative Cloud: Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Premiere Elements, InDesign

Microsoft Office Suite: Excel, PowerPoint, Word

Written Skills: Grant Writing, Journalism, Scientific Research,  Blogging 

Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube, Snapchat

Certifications and Training

Bear Safety (NPS), Firearm Safety (NPS), CPR/AED, and First Aid (NPS), American Canoe Association (Pathfinder) High Ropes Facilitator (Pathfinder), Tree Climbing Facilitator (Pathfinder), Rock Climbing: Belay, Lead Climbing, Scuba Diving Certification: Underwater Photography, Underwater Video, Oxygen Provider Advanced Open Water Dive Navigation, Deep Diving, Boat Diving, Nitrox