Sharing my love for the natural world and encouraging others to help make positive and collective change for the future of our planet
About Me
My name is Michelle O’Brien and I am a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, with a B.S. in Environmental Science.
During my senior year, I had the opportunity to intern with two amazing organizations, the Northside Food Cooperative & No Water No Life . Both of these organizations have meaningful and important missions and I am forever grateful to have been a part of their journey.
During my time at the Northside Food Co-op I had the opportunity to meet a wide range of individuals and participate in important community-lead initiatives. Their mission is to end a generational food desert in the North Side of Wilmington and bring opportunities to an often overlooked community.
At No Water No Life (NWNL) I worked as an Environmental Writer where I researched pressing global freshwater issues and turned my findings into online articles for the general public. You can find many of my articles on NWNL’s archived blog.
#getoutdoors
I love to see others enjoying the outdoors as much as I do. Find me on Instagram @parksofnc and tag me in your pictures and videos of eco-travel and outdoor activities to spread the love of the outdoors!
Inspiration
Back in 2020, I needed to find an escape from lockdown for both my and my dog’s sanity, so I decided to take Banks to explore all of the parks in Wilmington. Once we checked those off, we ventured out to state parks, and nature preserves within an hour of Wilmington.
I eventually moved back to Winston Salem, NC and started traveling to different parts of the state. This is where the parksofwilmington page turned into parksofnc.
Through this website and my parksofnc Instagram page, my goal is to spread positivity and document my experiences traveling North Carolina parks, gardens, and nature preserves. I hope to extend the love of being outdoors to as many people as I can, in hopes to increase awareness about being in nature and its positive effects on mental health.