Thesis Topic: Wildlife responses to habitat enhancements on cannabis farms in Humboldt County

Bio: I was born in Tennessee and grew up in southern Ohio. I discovered my passion for research and was inspired to pursue graduate school by working in two labs as an undergraduate; one project studied loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) in agricultural settings and the other focused on tree demography and regeneration dynamics in an urban old-growth forest. After college, I worked in the field ecology lab at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute on a number of regional research projects centered around wildlife and habitat conservation, and understanding how species interact with working landscapes. I also worked at the Bureau of Land Management and in the environmental consulting realm before returning to school. Through these experiences, I quickly realized the value of incorporating working landscapes and local stakeholders in conservation planning and research. I am excited to be studying cannabis farms in the Humboldt area to understand how they might mitigate impacts to wildlife, while still allowing for an important source of livelihood in the region. In my free time, I enjoy a number of outdoor activities such as backpacking, fishing, and foraging, as well as playing music and gardening.