Hello! My name is Zoe Ellsworth, and I’m an intern with the Environmental Risk and Remediation group at the Richmond headquarters office! I interned with Timmons Group last summer and over winter break, and I’m happy to be back!
A little bit about me—I’m a Hokie through and through. Both of my parents, my brother, all my aunts and uncles, and most of my cousins attended Virginia Tech. It’s always felt like home…
In May, I graduated with a degree in Environmental Policy and Planning, with a minor in Smart and Sustainable Cities. This fall, I’ll be heading back for one more year to finish up a 4+1 accelerated Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. Urban Planning and the environment are truly my passions, and I have found so many connections in my schoolwork to the work we do at Timmons Group.
In the Environmental Risk and Remediation Team, I’ve primarily been working on Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is a due diligence review to identify potential environmental liabilities associated with a property before a transaction. The report involves a records review (primarily historical environmental data, aerial maps, topographic maps, and city directories), a site inspection, and various interviews to assess the likelihood of environmental contamination.
Honestly, writing these reports feels like a real-life scavenger hunt, and it’s fascinating to discover former uses of properties and put together all the pieces. I’ve really enjoyed getting out in the field as well—whether I’m checking out storage tanks or walking a beautiful property in the Blue Ridge, I love the mix of technical work and exploration.
Alright, now… Let me take you through my summer!
First, I was greeted with this sweet sign at my desk from my wonderful team, and I got right to making my desk feel like home for the summer.
I enjoyed my second “Take Your Dog to Work Day” and had lunch on the rooftop with Milo, my amazing coworker Mary’s dog. Timmons Group always has fun events going on at the office to spice things up!
Days on site typically look like this, and my coworker Meagan and I are two peas in a pod! As a Prius driver, the Timmons truck was a little bit of an adjustment, haha.
This beautiful farm property, located just outside of Staunton, Virginia, was my favorite spot this summer. A stunning Victorian home sat at the front of the property, and the Blue Ridge Mountains peeked into the skyline. A little reminder of my home away from home, Blacksburg!
And would ya look at that… I found a tank!
The first few site visits I went on this summer were elementary schools, and I learned a lot about all kinds of machinery I had never seen before. Some schools even had their own water filtration system, how cool! A highlight was a student asking if I was a firefighter—nope, just wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 😊!
Another highlight has been learning Timmons Group GIS mapping. I’ve taken a few GIS classes at Tech, but I was able to learn company-specific techniques and standards. This summer, I expressed my interest in GIS, and my coworker Morgan was happy to set up a workshop with me. She’s a fantastic teacher… and look at her cat!
At the end of the summer, Mary took me to Fulton Gas Works, a brownfield site in Richmond that she has been conducting soil and water sampling at throughout the current demolition process. It wasn’t the most beautiful site, but I did learn a lot about Richmond’s history, specifically, how they used to power the city’s streetlights. The image above is of a gasometer, a large container that stored the gas that was manufactured by burning coal and heavy oils, which inflates much like an accordion when full. Super fascinating. This project consisted of years of work and dedication from my team, and it was especially rewarding to see it at the culminating stages of remediation.
Outside of the office and school, you can find me with my Fujifilm camera, either on campus taking graduation portraits or documenting my travels. I also love weightlifting and long outdoor walks. I enjoy live music and attending music festivals, and at the office, my headphones are either playing EDM, indie rock, or pop music. I have a cat named Chance, and he is my entire world. You can find him snuggled up on my lap, purring so loud I call it his “motor”. In my past life, I was a Barista for five years, so if you’re in need of any coffee tips and tricks, I’m your go-to person!
I’m so excited to keep learning and growing in this field, and I’m so grateful to be part of a team that is helping facilitate environmentally responsible projects all across the region. Thank you, Timmons Group, for this wonderful opportunity, and I’d highly recommend this internship program!
