I am beyond excited to join Clean Fairfax as the new Clean Streams Coordinator! I recently moved to the area with my husband, Luke, and our dog, Harvey, and we relocated from the island of Oahu, Hawaii. I am originally from southern Illinois, close to the Mississippi River at Saint Louis, Missouri. I grew up exploring the caves and spring fed streams of the Missouri River and the wetlands of southern Illinois. While at university, I decided I wanted to be able to do science, but in the outdoors, which led me to where I am today. My previous work includes a lot of what I call hard science—collecting and looking at data for evidence, whether it be chemicals, biological hazards, or physical, like the erosion of stream banks or flash flooding. I am VERY familiar with urban streams (that often times are more toxic drainage ditches) and look forward to getting to know the local streams in Fairfax County!

I spent my college years trapezing around Saint Louis, Missouri, where I obtained both my Bachelor’s and Master’s of Environmental Geoscience. While conducting research, I learned how to think like a scientist and how truly messed up our local waterways can be.

The degradation can be truly awe-inspiring—what was once a gorgeous creek has been transformed into a saturated dumpster. I decided to take action by participating in educational outreach and community engagement opportunities; I found myself drawn more and more away from the “hard” science and into advocacy, because knowing you have a problem is different than solving a problem.I thought to myself, how much data do I need to know something before I do something? My background in urban streams, earth science, and community engagement has me ready to take on the monster that is plastic pollution in urban streams in Fairfax County. With Clean Fairfax, I look forward to (attempting) to fill Zach’s shoes by continuing his awesome work to actively protect the community, natural spaces, and people of Fairfax County.