Zach Stikel, a current junior at St. Louis University, has been connected to the CEC since its beginning in 2021. Zach was a high school student in 2021 at Marquette University High School (MUHS) and taking an environmental science course taught by CEC executive director Joe Meyer. One week after the CEC was established in March of 2021, Zach came to the property to do some ecological monitoring as part of the environmental science class. Student’s caught macro invertebrates, set fish live traps and recorded plant species present on the property.

In April of 2021, 50 seniors from MUHS came to the CEC as part of their Senior Shared Life service experience. Zach and his classmates spent each day for a whole week at the CEC helping transform the CEC property from a Girl Scout Camp (Camp Winding River) into it’s new mission as the Catholic Ecology Center. Project’s included planting several hundred trees, removing old infrastructure, cutting hazard trees, repairing boardwalks and more. The impact of the newly formed mission of the CEC made an impression on Zach that would bring in back in 2023.

In late winter of 2023, CEC executive director Joe Meyer received a text message from Zach saying that he is currently studying abroad in Spain but would like to be an intern at the CEC for the summer when he returns. Zach is studying environmental science, Catholic studies and Spanish in college and wanted to have more experiences in the field connecting his faith, love for ecology and education.

“It was my experience at the CEC during my senior year that really gave me a desire to come back and help this faith-filled mission.”

Zach Stikel

Zach came in mid-May and jumped right in to the CEC’s growing ministry. On his first day, he was helping CEC staff run a middle school retreat for Milwaukee’s Notre Dame Middle School students. The students were shocked when Zach spoke in Spanish during a team building challenge, as Notre Dame Middle School is over 90% hispanic. During his internship, he has become a “Zach of all trades” doing everything from cleaning the buildings to leading canoeing groups down the Rubicon River.

We thank God for Zach’s willingness to share his faith and passion for ecology with the CEC!!