Meghan's CV

Education:
LESLEY UNIVERSITY, 2009 - 2011
      MFA, Non-fiction writing
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Santa Cruz, 1993 - 1997
      BA, Biology, with honors
      BA, History, with honors
PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE, 2011
      Occidental Arts and Ecology Center

Biology & Natural History:
BOREAL SPACE   www.borealinfotech.com
Science Advisor  |  May 2014 - Present
  • Inform Boreal staff on conservation biology and applied land management strategies
  • Inform biologists, conservationists, and land managers of Boreal's technology
  • Build relationships

STEWARDS OF THE COAST AND REDWOODS   www.StewardsOfTheCoastAndRedwoods.org
Ecological Consultant  |  January 2013 - Present
  • Design and implementation of Citizen Science Seabird Monitoring program
  • Creation of volunteer monitoring protocol
  • Organizing collaboration with CA state parks, Bureau of Land Management, NOAA, and Stewards Volunteers

WESTERN WOMEN'S TRACKING CONFERENCE  www.WomenTracking.org
Annual Conference  |  2012 - Present
  • Creation and implementation of four-day women's tracking conference, including biologists, ecologists, herbalists, trackers, and therapeutic consultants

LANDPATHS  www.LandPaths.org  |  May 2012 - Present
  • Design and implementation of Citizen Science wildlife corridor monitoring project
  • Detection of mammal presence for baseline data and distribution maps using wildlife remote cameras

THE WILDLANDS NETWORK  |  www.twp.org
Ecological Consultant  |  September 2011 - Present
  • Citizen science advisory committee member
  • Coordinator for design and collaboration of the Pacific Wildway Wildlife Corridor stretching from Baja California, MX to Alaska, USA
  • Evaluation of website and designate necessary changes regarding community participation and citizen science
  • Rewrite and design new webpages regarding "How to get involved"

UC SANTA BARBARA/CCBER (CHEADLE CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION)  | Goleta, CA
Instructor and Coordinator  |  April 2011 - Present
  • Design and implementation of citizen science group that will monitor open spaces and wildlife linkages via tracking
  • Establishment of website to act as depository for collected data
  • Instruct graduate and undergraduate students on tracking and data collection to monitor culverts and underpasses

THE HIGH LONESOME RANCH  www.HighLonesomeDudeRanch.com     
Field Crew Leader on western slope of Rocky Mountains   |  May - July, 2011   |  June - July 2012   |  May - July 2013
  • Conducted pellet transects to detect herbivore foraging habitats
  • Creation of aspen stand maps, elucidating historical stand areas, SAD (Sudden Aspen Decline) damage, and current perimeter areas
  • Designation and plant sampling with Daubenmire plots
  • Plant Identification and cataloguing
  • Riparian survey for watershed restoration project

WOMEN AND TRACKING CONFERENCE, 2011  |  Rowe Conference Center, Rowe MA 
Presenter and Instructor  |  January 2011
  • Presented seminar on animal tracking and writing
  • Field Instructor of tracking in winter conditions

A NATURALIST'S WORLD   www.TrackNature.com  
Instructor for Yellowstone Tracking and Trailing Program  |  February - August, 2010
  • Collaboration with South African Trackers
  • Field Instructor

KEEPING TRACK   www.KeepingTrack.org  
Recipient of Duval Fellowship  |  January 2008 - May 2009
  • Training in wildlife management, tracking and sign
  • Assistant Instructor
  • Monitoring of cougar and bear presence in Chiracaua Mountains, AZ

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles  
Teaching Assistant for Nicaragua Field Ecology Program   |  February - June 2003
  • Classroom preparation for 3.5 week field program: neo-tropical rain forests, introduction to field techniques
  • Field Work: guiding students in research development of hypothesis, experiment, implementation, and data collection
  • Classroom follow-up on completion of statistics, research paper and oral presentations

FUGA ISLAND NURSERY  |  Philippines, Fuga Island 
Botanical Researcher   |  September 1997 - January 1998
  • Identification, collection, and propagation of native plants for local eco-tourist nursery
  • Establishment of plant nursery

UC SANTA CRUZ - LIFE SCIENCES DEPARTMENT  |  University of California, Santa Cruz, CA  95064
Thesis Research  |  July 1996 - July 1997
  • Completion of thesis
  • Slide preparation
  • Electron microscopy
  • Pocket Gopher muscle dissection and biopsy
  • Data collection and analysis

UC SANTA CRUZ - LIFE SCIENCES DEPARTMENT  |  University of California, Santa Cruz, CA  95064
Volunteer Research Assistant  |  April 1996 - July 1997
  • Identification and capture of Año Nuevo Elephant Seals
  • Animal tagging
  • Blood samples
  • Muscle Biopsy

WILDLANDS PROGRAM  |  Nepal, Dolpo Region
Academic Botanical Research  |  June 1995 - August 1995
  • Botanical identification
  • Plot lines and transects comparing and contrasting plant diversity in grazed, ungrazed, and alpine regions
  • Field observation on behavior of Nepalese Blue Sheep

DEPARTMENT O OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
8635 West Third Street, Suite 160 West, Los Angeles, CA  90048
Student Fellow  |  June 1994 - September 1994
Mentor: Beth Y. Karlan, MD
Research Project: Gynecologic Cancer Public Awareness Study
  • Compiled patient statistics
  • Prepared flow charts for patient education
  • Prepared patient surveys and managed distribution and mailings of surveys
  • Data collection, fidelity and entry
  • Handled correspondence between hospital and free clinic

Publications:
FISHING IN THE RUSSIAN RIVER   | Arcadia Publishers   www.ArcadiaPublishing.com
Author  |  Publication Sept 8th, 2014
  • Book archiving the historical relationship that people have had with the Russian River and its salmonids

TRACK PLATE FIELD GUIDE with Dr. James Halfpenny  |  www.TrackNature.com
"Track Plates for Mammals: A How-to Manual & Aid to Footprint Identification"
Co-Author  |  November 2009
  • Compilation of track plates from national research projects
  • Compilation of history and use of track plates
  • Illustration and composition formatting for book text

SONOMA WEST TIMES    www.SonomaWest.com
Freelance Writer  |  May 2012 - Present
  • Articles regarding local community and ecologic conservation movements

THE WILDLANDS NETWORK   www.twp.org
Writer for website and newsletter  |  September 2011 - Present
  • Articles regarding nationwide wildlife linkages and corridors

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY (CNPS)   www.cnps.org
Writer for CNPS Bulletin  |  April 2001 - Present
  • Articles regarding native flora and fauna

COVERTSIDE MAGAZINE    www.EcovertSide.com
Writer for national, internet fox hunting magazine  |  October 2010 - January 2013
  • Articles regarding habitat features and animal track and sign on hunts

PATCH     www.Patch.com
Columnist for local internet news source  |  November 2010 - November 2011
  • Beyond Your Backyard: Weekly column of natural history and seasonal ecological events occurring in the Santa Monica Mountains

THE ACORN NEWSPAPER    www.TheAcorn.com
Columnist  |  October 2005 - January 2012
  • The Nature of Things: Bi-weekly column of natural history and seasonal ecological events occurring in the Los Angeles Basin

THE TOPANGA MESSENGER NEWSPAPER    www.TopangaMessenger.com
Columnist  |  December 2004 - Present
  • Topanga Naturally: Bi-weekly column of natural history and seasonal ecological events occurring in the Los Angeles Basin
  • Features profiling prominent elders in the community and environmental policy issues

Outreach & Educational Development:
SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE     www.SantaRosa.edu  |  May 2014 - Present
  • Adjunct Faculty in the Natural Resource Management Department 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXTENSION     www.ucanr.edusites/uccnp
Organizer and Instructor  |  June 2013 - Present
  • Lead Instructor of week-long intensive and extended California Naturalist training program

WILDLIFE ECOLOGY & TRACKING PRESENTER/INSTRUCTOR  |  March 2012 - Present
WESTMINSTER WOODS CAMP AND CONFERENCE CENTER     www.WestminsterWoods.org
Staff Trainer & Curriculum Development  |  February 2012 - January 2013
  • Training of tracking, experiential teaching and wilderness awareness
  • Curriculum design of night program and tracking classes

GREEN ACROSS THE PACIFIC     www.gatp.org
Educator  |  May - July 2009
  • Facilitator of high school summer international exchange program to Guangdong Peninsula in China
  • Creation and implementation of curriculum based on the ecology of southern China

MERLIN HIGH SCHOOL  |  21338 Dumetz Rd, Woodland Hills, CA  91364
Biology Teacher  |  September - December 2008
  • Creation and implementation of one-year high school biology curriculum
  • Classroom Teacher of mixed level biology

FUTURE NATURE     www.GoodWorkFoundation.org  |  Johannesburg/Philippolis, South Africa  
Instructor  |  July 2007 - Fall 2009  (seasonal)
  • Guiding and instruction of South African ecology and tracking
  • Facilitator of local and international student groups
  • Tutor of South African matriculation students


CITY OF SANTA MONICA  |  Santa Monica, CA  90401
Consultant for Santa Monica Festival  |  February 2006 - May 2006
  • Designer of environmental activities for children and families
  • Interactive activities integrating art, natural resources and environmental sustainability

SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER and MUSEUM    www.Skirball.org
Museum Exhibit Consultant  |  December 2004 - January 2012
  • Development of exhibit and programmatic curriculum, geared towards children and adults
  • Animal behavior and natural history research for exhibit
  • Train staff in animal behavior, ecology and educational techniques

TOPANGA MOUNTAIN SCHOOL     www.TopangaMountainSchool.org
Director of Education  |  January 2003 - 2007
  • Creation, development and implementation of 3-year integrated environmental curriculum
  • Outdoor Education Coordinator
  • Classroom teacher of science, humanities and outdoor activities
  • Community and family outreach

FULCRUM LEARNING SYSTEMS     www.FulcrumAdventures.com
Consultant  |  May 2002 - January 2012
  • Development of program curriculum
  • Implementation and facilitation of curriculum
  • Training of staff in natural history of southern California

NEW ROADS SCHOOL    www.NewRoads.org
Eighth Grade Earth Science Teacher  |  September 2000 - July 2001
  • Development of Curriculum
  • Classroom Teacher
  • Outdoor Education Coordinator

WOLF (Wilderness Outdoor Leadership Foundation)    www.WolfAdventures.org
Co-Founder and Director  |  February 1998 - 2006
  • Development and implementation of outdoor education programs
  • Development of corporate and staff training programs
  • Program marketing
  • Curriculum development
  • Grant writing
  • Staff management, hiring and training
  • Outdoor Facilitator: team building, environmental science, natural history and wilderness skills

Additional Interests:
  • Tracking, birding, identification of edible and medicinal plants                       Continual
  • Volunteer for Friends of the Grove (FOG)                                                              2012 - Present
  • Volunteer of vernal pool monitoring for the Laguna Foundation                    2012 - Present
  • Writegirl mentor and volunteer                                                                                2010 - 2011
  • Volunteer at Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Camarillo, CA      2007 - 2008
  • Private mentor and tutor for ages 10 thru adult                                                   Continual
  • African Dance                                                                                                                 Many Lifetimes