Growing up I was a competitive ski racer and horseback rider, so much of my time was spent outdoors. From a young age, this instilled in me a deep appreciation and reverence for our natural environment. My passion for the natural environment has remained steady throughout my life and led me to not only care about it personally, but also professionally.
In college I took an environmental science class that sparked my interest. This led me to pursue a bachelor’s in Sustainability Studies at Colorado Mountain College and a career in the environmental field. Throughout college I took advantage of any opportunity to further my knowledge and experience in this field of work. This included many internships, working summer jobs at great environmental organizations, and jumping on any opportunities that arose.
These opportunities have allowed me to work on some of the following projects. An exhibition focused on artistically communicating the science of managing the Yampa River. A capstone project focused on creating a new model for high resolution measuring of snow water equivalence (SWE) in the Upper Yampa River Basin. I have also had the opportunity to be on several steering committees and panning boards for various local conferences and planning efforts. In the summer of 2020, I was a summer research intern at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) and conducted independent research on streamflow variability in the Upper Yampa River Basin. By taking advantage of these things, I was able to meet wonderful mentors, grow my skill sets, continue to learn, and get clarity of what I truly wanted to do.
All the above has led me to my current position, in which my work is focused on water and snowpack in the Yampa Valley. The goal of my work in this position is to connect relevant research and data with increased public understanding of how water and snowpack in the west is changing due to climate change and ways that we can adapt and address this. I am constantly inspired by the natural environment and those around me working to understand it better and protect it for future generations.
