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Meet Mariah: Health educator for Ramsey County

Get to know the Environmental Health Division of Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health! This month, meet Mariah Quick! Below, Quick shares what she does, why she does it, and some tips for those interested in the field.  

At a glance 

• Year started: 2020

• Role: Health Educator

• Unit: Outreach & Engagement

• Main role: Engages residents on waste management topics through educational presentations, community tabling and managing the Recycling Ambassadors volunteer program. 

Tell us about your role. 

In my role, I get to do a variety of projects but they can all be described as community engagement around environmental health. I participate at community events like resource fairs and block parties, providing educational materials on Ramsey County’s recycling programs. I give educational presentations on recycling topics to different community groups. I facilitate a training twice a year for our Recycling Ambassador volunteers and manage the program – tracking volunteer hours, answering questions, find volunteer opportunities. It is also my responsibility to conduct surveys on different waste topics to learn more about residents’ recycling challenges and get feedback on our programs.

Why do you work in the field of environmental health? What motivates you? 

I have been passionate about public health and the environment for a long time! In 3^rd grade I was in a play about recycling and since then it’s been a part of my life. Contributing to a healthy environment where all creatures can thrive is what motivates me.

What is your favorite sustainability strategy? 

I really enjoy participating in my local Buy Nothing group. It’s an online community where people can ask for and gift items for free. It was particularly helpful when prepping for a newborn, I was able to get a lot of gently used baby items and prevent them from going into the trash.

Living in a “throwaway society” makes me mindful of trying to purchase things that I think will last, trying to find a new home for something that still works but that I no longer need (Buy Nothing groups are my favorite for this!), or whether there may be another creative use for an item before disposing of it. 

What advice do you have for others who want to serve in this field? 

My advice is to try to have a well-rounded approach to learning about the environment. Our environment impacts every aspect of our lives and it is also impacted by everything we do. Understanding those connections helps provide prospective on solving environmental issues. 

When I’m not working for Environmental Health, you can find me... 

Watching movies with my husband or playing with my baby Theo.

 

This article is featured in Green Ramsey, an environmental health newsletter from Ramsey County. 
Learn more about and subscribe to Green Ramsey.