About
I am a conservation biologist, naturalist, and writer currently based in Seattle, WA. When I'm not working, you can find me hiking, birding, climbing, making art, reading or cuddling with my black cat.
Conservation Biologist
I am a graduate student and NW CASC fellow in the Landscape Ecology & Conservation Lab at the University of Washington School of Environment and Forest Sciences (SEFS). My thesis research involves evaluating landscape connectivity for a population complex of the endangered Taylor's checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha taylori) in the South Puget Sound. My future chapters will involve building a state-and-transition simulation model of vegetation response to management and climate change across the Taylor's checkerspot's Washington range. From this, I will produce a time series of maps to inform a spatially-explicit, individual based population model. This model will investigate population level responses to multiple, interacting stressors.
Generally, my research interests include endangered species conservation, habitat loss and fragmentation, and understanding other anthropogenic threats to wildlife. I am actively involved in a wide breadth of conservation research that includes population responses to climate change, animal behavior & symbiotic relationships, habitat restoration, and the effects of biodiversity on mental health & wellbeing. My taxonomic interests are broad and include, but are certainly not limited to, butterflies and moths, primates, marine mammals, birds, plants, and humans.
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I hold a B.S. in Conservation Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and have conducted rare plant and wildlife monitoring and mark-recapture studies in the northeastern and western US. I currently work under the mentorship of Dr. Joshua Lawler and in collaboration with the Computational Ecology Group, Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Ecostudies Institute. For more information on my experience and education, see my CV.
Naturalist & Educator
In 2016, I obtained my first job as a naturalist at the Paul Smith's College VIC where I first fell in love with environmental interpretation. Since that experience, I have built upon this interest by becoming a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), obtaining my Flying Wild certification through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's Project WILD, and participating in interpretive design courses.
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When I'm not absorbed in my research, I write educational content for This Wild Wonderland, a website and Instagram page created and maintained by my partner, Leo Wahl, and myself. This space is meant to be a resource for all ages, encouraging a whole systems approach to conservation through education, environmental action, and human connection to the natural world. Here, readers can discover fascinating creatures and beautiful places, and learn how to be a good steward to the planet we all call home.
Ecofeminist Writer & Photographer
As a woman in the natural sciences, I feel a call to reawaken the ancestral connection to the natural world that lies under the surface of all of our skin. I am deeply moved by the historical relationships women have maintained with nature and strongly believe that to be a woman in the natural sciences shouldn't mean conformity, but rather, an opportunity to embrace other ways of knowing and doing science. For writing and thoughts on softness in science, see my writing and musings on my personal blog.
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I am also an amateur photographer and enjoy taking photos of wildlife and wild spaces. I've worked as the photographer for Colorado Aromatics and continue my passion part-time, on all of my birding, hiking, and butterflying adventures.
