Fuzzy Sea Otters - San Blas, Panama
Kristina McLean, Bellevue, Washington
How did you become part of the MWH team?
I was a summer intern with King County on the Denny Way Combined Sewer Overflow project in Seattle, WA. This allowed me to interact with the MWH construction management team and become their intern while I completed my last year for my Civil Engineering degree.
What is your role at MWH and how long have you worked here?
My current role is project management and in the past, I have done project controls, document management, engineering, and other roles. I have worked at MWH for over 10 years mostly in the Bellevue office, although, I spent a few years in project offices in Seattle and most recently in Mount Vernon.
What inspired you to take the photo selected for the calendar? What inspired you to participate in the MWH photo contest?
I love photography – capturing something to enjoy with others again and again. The sea otters just looked so soft, fuzzy, satisfied, and safe. I attempted to capture that moment with my photo. I submitted this photo because these creatures have history, similar to many other creatures, of how humanity has impacted them in unfortunate ways. This was an opportunity to post a reminder of what we can preserve.
If you could go anywhere in the world to take photos where would you go? Why?
I would like to visit Australia. I realize this covers a vast area…I would like to photograph the eucalyptus forests, delicate coral reefs, wild life park on Tasmania, the Hamlin Marine Nature Reserve, and all the interesting flora, fauna, and geology that I come across. I would like to see Australia because of it many unique species and old geological history.
What do the photos you take say about you as a person?
My photos say that I love nature from little fungi to large mountain-scapes to crystals formation in rocks. They show my friends and family; my memories. Often they show my persistence to capture an image even if the light is not right, my subject won’t hold still, or an adventure is required to try to get the photo. “Just keep taking photos – one of them has to turn okay…well, maybe at least recognizable?” And there go gigabytes of my home computer memory, ah but the fun it stores!
What does the MWH purpose of Building a Better World mean to you?
To build a better world we must each share and help each other understand how to be better care takers of each tiny part of the world. For MWH to have this as a purpose, I see this as continuous improvement from taking on cleaner energy sources for our buildings to adapting engineering designs to be more environmentally conscience.
