Mackenzi Mills is a somphmore at Norfolk Academy in the Chesapeake Bay Fellows Program. She enjoys taking my boat out in the summer, cutting the motor in the middle of the channel and taking in the sounds and sights of the Lafayette River. She reprimands her family and friends for using plastic water bottles every chance she gets and loves science and animals. Mackenzi feels strongly about the balance of humans and nature and joined the bay fellows because it provides opportunities for her to convince people to care about what lives outside their homes:  not only the living, breathing animals but also the living, breathing plants that most overlook.

Currently, Mackenzi is researching living shorelines in the Chesapeake Bay this fall with Katie Debbas. They have looked at various types of shorelines and identified the pros and cons of each. They plan to participate in a hands-on experience through the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Grasses for the Masses. They will have the opportunity to plant underwater grasses ourselves and learn more about the bay shoreline and why a healthy one is important.