My blogs

From the Rivers: Life as a fisheries biologist

About me

Interests	I am an aquatic ecologist, conservationist, and outdoor enthusiast. I am currently a PhD candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. My research focuses on how rising river temperatures are affecting Pacific salmon populations. Specifically, I am studying juvenile steelhead behavior and use of coolwater refugia in the Klamath River in northern California. My interest in ecology grew out of my passion for hiking, skiing, diving, and my experience teaching environmental education; I spent five years as an environmental educator after college, teaching in North Carolina, Washington, and Yosemite National Park, California. With the outdoors as my classroom, I spent eight hours a day outside, exploring the forests and streams, and watching the seasons change the world around me. It was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life, and drove me to become an ecologist. I am especially interested in an approach to science, teaching, and conservation that promotes a better understanding of and personal connection to nature. My long-term goal is to use a meld of science and education to help find ways to connect people to their environment.

Interests

I am an aquatic ecologist, conservationist, and outdoor enthusiast. I am currently a PhD candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. My research focuses on how rising river temperatures are affecting Pacific salmon populations. Specifically, I am studying juvenile steelhead behavior and use of coolwater refugia in the Klamath River in northern California. My interest in ecology grew out of my passion for hiking, skiing, diving, and my experience teaching environmental education; I spent five years as an environmental educator after college, teaching in North Carolina, Washington, and Yosemite National Park, California. With the outdoors as my classroom, I spent eight hours a day outside, exploring the forests and streams, and watching the seasons change the world around me. It was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life, and drove me to become an ecologist. I am especially interested in an approach to science, teaching, and conservation that promotes a better understanding of and personal connection to nature. My long-term goal is to use a meld of science and education to help find ways to connect people to their environment.