Katie Nagy, an Abington resident, certified school counselor, and a children’s book author, is also the mother of Emily, who is in a nationwide competition to win $20,000 and become a Junior Ranger featured in Ranger Rick Magazine.

Emily is in the quarterfinals and is currently in third place. Voting is free (today is a double vote day) but you can contribute extra votes by donating to the National Wildilfe Federation. You can vote here until Thursday, July 10. 

Nagy featured Emily as the title character in her 2021 book “Emily’s Turtles”. From her profile:

What does Emily love most about nature?

Animals are my favorite things about nature. They are so cute! I love how unique they are. Some can fly and some can breathe under water. Did you know that an ant can lift something 5 times its own body weight? Yup, that’s right, but sometimes they can’t lift everything alone and they need help from other ants. This shows how animals work together. Some animals are endangered but with help from humans we can bring their populations back up. Taking care of nature is a way we can help them.

What is Emily’s favorite animal—and why?

My favorite animal is the hawksbill sea turtle. I love their beautiful glow in the dark shells. This phenomenon happens because of bioluminescent algae! They also have beautiful patterns on their shells. I want to become a marine biologist so I can help rescue sea turtles. I love all types of turtles and even have 3 pet box turtles! Turtles have such cute and funny personalities!

What is Emily’s favorite outdoor activity?

My favorite outdoor activity is birdwatching. I like to listen to their calls to see if I can identify the different species. I really like birds, second to turtles. My favorite bird is the red tailed hawk and I get really excited when I see one while I’m bird watching. I love seeing birds hopping around the tree branches and a robins song is so beautiful!

“Emily is a great contributor to her community through her volunteerism at Briar Bush Nature Center and her participation in cleaning up trash from the Ardsley Wildlife Sanctuary,” Nagy told Glenside Local, noting that the prize money will go to Emily’s college fund to become a marine biologist.

For more on Katie Nagy’s authorship, you can read our previous coverage here.

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Photos: Katie Nagy