Beyond formal research, I'm committed to making science accessible and engaging communities in conservation action. These stories combine hands-on stewardship with spatial analysis to connect people with the ecosystems around them.
Community-led conservation combining hands-on native pollinator garden installations with spatial analysis for Friends of Coal Creek. I lead garden projects within my homeowners association while mapping certified gardens throughout the Coal Creek watershed.
Volunteers planting native wildflowers and grasses in the Coal Creek watershed. These gardens provide critical nectar and host plants for local pollinators including native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Each garden installation is documented and added to our connectivity mapping project.
Spatial analysis showing certified native gardens throughout the Coal Creek watershed. Each point represents a Pollinator City certified garden, creating stepping-stone habitat corridors that allow wildlife to move through suburban landscapes. Distance analysis reveals which neighborhoods have the strongest connectivity and where future gardens would have the greatest conservation impact.
A typical suburban lawn dominated by non-native Kentucky bluegrass. While aesthetically pleasing to some, these monocultures provide minimal value for native wildlife and require significant water, fertilizer, and maintenance.
The same space transformed with native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs. Within months, the garden attracted 15+ butterfly species, native bees, and foraging birds. Native plants are drought-tolerant and require minimal maintenance once established.
Interactive ArcGIS dashboard tracking certification progress across the watershed. The tool allows volunteers and city planners to visualize garden density, identify gaps in habitat connectivity, and prioritize neighborhoods for future outreach efforts. Data includes garden size, plant species lists, and maintenance schedules.