https://www.mackmoran.com/work daily 1.0 2020-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524710255940-5N3B0DN40CTAIHH7LM6V/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0329_2_WEB.jpg Work - Women of Science Producer // Writer // Photographer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524447177415-GQUNNE7MW9AWWQRG58JF/12.14.16_village_rice_day2_1279.jpg Work M.D. Gamini, 39, has lived in this village for his entire life. His ambition to provide a good life for his family was the driving force behind him starting his own business, the rice processing mill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524446859614-E68KQJXNLUBNWA73U838/12.13.16_village_rice_day1_1636.jpg Work Not only does M.D. Gamini process rice for a living, he also makes chili powder and other seasonings. In seasons where rain is more scarce than usual, the extra work helps him scrape by. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524446902336-PLNNQEAALVVD2Z66VHE1/12.13.16_village_rice_day1_1586.jpg Work After running the rice through the second processor, the white grains are ready to be taken home and cooked by customers. Gamini makes 3 rupees per kilo sold, which equates to 2 cents in USD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524446965590-NEDT87YNVQTGG5CMSFPV/12.14.16_village_rice_day2_1298.jpg Work Gamini is the only rice processor of rice within miles of the village Unaweruwa. His hands are his tools, turning field pickings into edible rice for the village families to eat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524446884972-I5X2EMHZ3YZA3LW9DMDO/12.13.16_village_rice_day1_1767.jpg Work A rice picker in Unaweruwa takes brief break from seed transplanting, a method used in many Southeast Asian rice cultivation systems. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524446944737-FWA79QQ6YI2CZNYLWTI5/12.14.16_village_rice_day2_1344.jpg Work Each rice seedling is planted a few centimeters deep in nutrient rich clay, kept flooded throughout the season through terrace structure and irrigation systems. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524629005676-MY40IPXT0FOHK79MV7SD/12.14.16_village_rice_day2_1371.jpg Work Rice is the staple crop of Sri Lanka, and the foundation of most traditional Sri Lankan meals. In order to grow, it must be submerged in a few inches of water or else it won't survive https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524629193724-DGF7SIW5LE9XIIN1LEH3/12.13.16_village_rice_day1_1740.jpg Work Rice is extremely sensitive to water shortage. Therefore in hilly landscapes, the land is terraced to help keep cultivation planes flooded and crops healthy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1524629014592-YTUFWZ7JFSD9RJZ6F5PV/12.14.16_village_rice_day2_1355.jpg Work Each rice seedling must be planted and re-planted by hand, approximately 12 cm apart, to prevent weed interference on the terrace. 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In the face of decline, the women scientists of Cordova, AK have been taking on the challenges of the Alaskan wilderness in pursuit of understanding and protecting something they love, the outdoors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526152179795-AHSEH1HH4QIDYXKHQT0U/20160615_blog_glacier_mm-21.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526151663863-QNAB8XKJ5EE6ARZ91X93/20160617_blog_fishclean_mm_0021.jpg Women of Science - SALMON is the life blood of Cordova. The entire economy revolves around the health of the surrounding ecosystems, and those ecosystems to be resilient in the face of climate change. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526336878865-XZTVIDYZO5OD8JIERYFD/20160628_usfs_elodea_barrier_mm_0344.jpg Women of Science "We don't have to prove that we can do it, because we've already done that. Now we need to make people believer that we don't have to prove that we can do it." - Elizabeth Camarata https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526343274768-L9GP22YG51TYXTEUO473/danielleverna_portrait.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526336939803-JXXYW4J6OIHN1RDI3AZR/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0301.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526152383241-8JGV3HGZ0SK8FGBH4OYN/20160701_womenofscience_interviews_katrinahoffman_portraits_0020.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526152440728-5I2Q83XTB3YMV7VPTTRY/20160628_usfs_elodea_barrier_mm_0342.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526337017195-CQ2VISJVDWBAEDFT0TCJ/20160627_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0420_WEB.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526336693167-Z4SQQ9Y7V12ZNNNG7EB8/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0304.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526152422790-K2XA9S74OR9ZDD1PG4IS/20160630_womenofscience_interviews_lizswain_portraits_0021.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526335177021-ZV0UHJ5FUS52EOW0FKM9/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0326.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150420040-NCJOC73I6YVBLXBEJN8A/20160615_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0065_2.jpg Women of Science Elizabeth Camarata, a Biological Technician with the United States Forest Service, leads herself and two other female scientists down the Alaganik Slough on the Copper River Delta. The skiff cruise into the delta is the first step in a series of obstacles that these women must take to find their study pond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150506541-WVNEBFSBUTXC75LRWLWH/20160616_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0340_WEB.jpg Women of Science After a long day of trudging through bogs and collecting data, the women grab a snack and share some laughs before making the four mile trudge back to the forest service skiff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150578450-0H65UKGA8IOA5N3M4GB1/20160702_blog_mountain_hike_mm_0075.jpg Women of Science Looking forward, Camarata hoped to go to graduate school at Oregon State University. Since our time together, she has started her pursuing her master’s degree in Horticulture at Oregon State University in Corvallis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150523805-BS00QDVUR7VFN19RRABP/20160628_usfs_elodea_barrier_mm_0141_WEB.jpg Women of Science Camarata is an essential player in the Elodea Project, and she often stepped up to lead when confusion arose, showing the team, where and how things were to be done. To dig through the myriad of plant life in the wetland, Camarata must break up the roots using a chainsaw prior to inserting a barrier that will be placed around the study pond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150529755-R9IVT9IK344A24SNHB0T/20160628_usfs_elodea_barrier_mm_0180_WEB.jpg Women of Science In the field, women can sometimes experience discrimination, or face colleagues who believe they are not capable to perform the ‘“dirty work.” To that Camarata says, “It’s not only the yes I can shoot a deer, and I can gut a fish, and I can hike that mountain and carry a gun, whatever. I’m gonna show you that I can do it. You see more women lately, maybe younger women, saying I don’t have to prove this to you because I know that I can do it, because all of these other women have showed me I can do it.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150569311-RL4T89EV6N7X9SHJB5EO/20160616_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0266.jpg Women of Science The Copper River Delta ecosystem is the largest wetland complex on North America’s Pacific Coast. It is home to a diverse set of plant life, and a popular nesting ground for hundreds of waterfowl and shorebird species. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150468517-QBAR183DY0UNWCHDBNQJ/20160616_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0153_WEB.jpg Women of Science The team uses pack rafts to weave their way through the delta. These inflatable rafts act as handy bridges between ponds, while also keeping the women and their equipment dry. Here, Camarata and her colleague, Amelia McReynolds, tow the raft back and forth to cross. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150467016-YZP1EEOQ4X7Q1A8P0QE3/20160615_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0144_WEB.jpg Women of Science Camarata, McReynolds, and Jillian Jablonski make sure they are well prepped before the conduct their surveys. While Camarata studies the presence of invasive species on the pond, Jablonski will conduct a bird survey, and McReynolds will take water samples to test the pond’s acidity levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150533786-KFP95UE6VOI3ZI5QDETO/20160702_blog_mountain_hike_mm_0104_WEB.jpg Women of Science Camarata, who has lived and worked all over the lower forty-eight, has valued to her time in Alaska for pushing her to new extremes. On a day off surveying, we took a hike up Sheridan Mountain and talked about what the future looked like for the both of us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150492126-2YSAZJSHPR39RNKVM6WB/20160616_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0311_WEB.jpg Women of Science In preparation for a study Camarata is conducting on an invasive plant species, known as Elodea, she carefully hangs on the edge of a pack raft, creating a study sample square in the team’s pond of interest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150487558-20Q6MO8L1VYAKIFXYZ21/20160616_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0287_WEB.jpg Women of Science Cottonwood plants rustle in the breeze on a rare, sunshine filled day in the Delta. A sea of these plants make the outskirts of the ponds look like they are covered in a dusting of snow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150672483-LBPX9ASSP3FIGX6IM5W0/20160616_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0254_WEB.jpg Women of Science During a work break, I caught Camarata snuggling her face in bundle of cottonwoods. As a biological technician who specials in botany, Camarata loves to identify and enjoy various plant species in the pond. Part of the reason why she loves the area is for it’s biodiversity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150508759-4LEOBEECBLN2HYCCGMPC/20160628_usfs_elodea_barrier_mm_0023_WEB.jpg Women of Science Camarata gears up for a long day of manual labor, where the USFS staff will work on building a plastic barrier around a pond that will become a study site of the invasive species, Elodea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995355445-HYR5DNYFWMOLBX0QS4UX/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0329_2_WEB.jpg Women of Science When I pressed Gabrielson about why she chose to study in Alaska, she told me it was all about the fusion of various ecosystems. “This giant wetland, the glaciers behind us, the mountains, the landscape, what it does over the course of a season, over the course of a year is really amazing… that is constantly bringing me back because I feel like I’m constantly learning".” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995442657-CUWAHZYZ23SIRLGASGT5/20160627_usfs_duskycamp_melissagabrielson_0355_WEB.jpg Women of Science Melissa Gabrielson, a USFS wildlife biologist, specializes in the inner works of waterfowl and shorebird migration. She has been the lead scientist on the Copper River Delta’s only long term study on migratory birds, the Dusky Geese Nest Island Monitoring project, for three years as of 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995386754-2LIONPEQ1E4EHBM5UD2S/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0292_WEB.jpg Women of Science We stopped so Gabrielson could show me what Elodea, an invasive plant species to Alaska, looks like up close. In this moment, I caught a glimpse of her tattoos, tiny foot prints of water fowl species Gabrielson has worked on in the past, that she keeps record of on her forearm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995317285-ZR120LDXM39WMQQVM0PV/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_melissagabrielson_0019_WEB.jpg Women of Science Her study consists of bringing a team of scientists out onto the delta for a weekend to travel from pond to pond, checking man-made nest islands for signs of life from the Dusky Geese population that migrates to the delta each summer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995364606-ISKG7BT6XOFJ9E8NZG5A/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0045_WEB.jpg Women of Science An abandoned egg shell provides evidence to the team that at least one nest has been used to the full extent of it’s purpose. While she inspects, Gabrielson looks for these kinds of cues to evaluate whether the nests have been successful during mating season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526322720701-S6RHLVWS5ACUTO8J6XUZ/20160627_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0397_WEB.jpg Women of Science Gabrielson is sure not to miss a beat when it comes to inspection, to better serve the bird populations that use the nest island as a nesting site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995344544-HAJ088Y2SDUJNARX4916/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_melissagabrielson_0122_WEB.jpg Women of Science The delta is a wild and unruly ecosystem, so each Forest Service team must carry a bear gun and bear spray with them throughout the day, in case of an unexpected encounter. Gabrielson lays down her gun before grabbing a Snickers, her favorite fuel source to snack on while out in the field. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995380278-2BERC6D6JWJY674GQ7E4/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0290_WEB.jpg Women of Science The easiest way to navigate the shallow waters on the Copper River Delta, especially during low tide, is via air boat. But Gabrielson and her crew can only take them so far into the Delta before the mission must be completed via “poke boat”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995511221-399DLR89316JRPOCGCRY/20160627_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0435_WEB.jpg Women of Science Rescue coats and life jackets are hung up to dry among the storage shack at the Dusky Geese Base camp. Traveling by air boat during the rainy season often leaves researchers soaked after a day in the field. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995524059-86ZDTU1HY9I60VV6UD2Q/20160627_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0436_WEB.jpg Women of Science “Poke boats”, which resemble kayaks, are the transportation method of choice when it comes to hoping from pond to pond. Field technicians and researchers drag these boats through all kinds of terrain as they hike and paddle miles through out the Delta in search of nest islands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995490756-RARKHWHXJLS5CROXHZG0/20160627_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0376_WEB.jpg Women of Science Navigating the field is tough on the body and the mind, but Gabrielson finds joy in her work through the interactions she has with nature and her team. Here, her and an Matt Prinzing, a wildlife intern she has been mentoring, battle it out to see who gets the shortest route in the last section of a long survey day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995480438-PN00Q9IFGCG3LY9SOJA8/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0274_WEB.jpg Women of Science Gabrielson’s team, consists about seven people, who after a long days in the field, gather in the kitchen tent to eat dinner, consult about the day’s work, and tell ghost stories. “The people we bring in, the interns, all the seasonals, it’s amazing to see their passion, to see where they’re coming from, to learn what they’re about, and then to help mentor that… to help push them in the right directions”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526322418397-ZL7TOQRDMT72CZ57XOD4/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0268_WEB.jpg Women of Science Inside the kitchen back at base camp, the Dusky Geese team keep track of each individual nest island’s location, so that no site goes unchecked. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995630445-9FBTE9QR1RO8N552PLIM/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0202_WEB.jpg Women of Science As a storm rolled in over the Prince William Sound, Harjoe sought to press forward with the day’s study. Harjoe was determined to continue the search, but also did not want to put the team into harms way, a tough call to make when finding the time and money to be in the field is fleeting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526325614904-4N876W1GA2TZUN043HV9/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0092_WEB.jpg Women of Science Carmen Harjoe is an graduate student pursuing her Ph.D. in integrative biology at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on understanding how various pathogens effect amphibians and their ecosystems. In particular, she focuses on the Boreal toad, a species that used to be abundant in the area around Cordova, but whose populations have since died off. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995696275-MYM7VZBXC42XTFS1OA6M/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0025_WEB.jpg Women of Science Harjoe and her undergraduate research assistant, Brooke Rigoni, start off their survey measuring the tide. In recent years, the Boreal Toad has become less prominent in the ecosystems around Cordova Alaska, so noting all of the day’s conditions are important when it comes to understanding when and where toads are found. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995717744-2T2U3CV00S21MSV8NVD9/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0048_WEB.jpg Women of Science Rigoni squats down to take the temperature of the water to assess if toads could be in the area, gathering clues so the researchers can determine where to look. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995734237-U7YX2Y4SOLN0VGLAE2NU/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0029_WEB.jpg Women of Science The pair is led through the mudflats along the Orca Inlet by Rachel Ertz, a Fisheries Technician for the USFS. At least one of the team members must be armed with a bear gun on the survey as a safety precaution, and today, Ertz gets to do the honors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995781357-3U5DESWJ1JV9DIO5WJ1V/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0039_WEB.jpg Women of Science As the team moved along, we came across fresh bear tracks here and there, keeping our eyes peeled as we entered the brush, knowing that company was nearby. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995812382-3IZ3Y6075VJVQ3I1C59R/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0156_WEB.jpg Women of Science Rigoni reels the measuring tape in after Harjoe paced a survey site, unfortunately neither of them spotted an Boreal toads, which have hardly been seen in the area for many years. The hope is that their study can help the team understand why. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526325199186-FRIBHZ9FCQXEVT2VZWQA/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0117._WEBjpg Women of Science As a part of her research, Harjoe measures the length of the area she is surveying by splitting her paces. If she were to spot a toad, her sample sizes would help indicate where more of them could potentially be found. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995815920-F037WNNDEOAKKHOJ51RM/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0166_WEB.jpg Women of Science In between survey sections, Harjoe laughs when she noticed I was snapping a shot of her munching on a PB&J. Despite not having come across any of the toads, Harjoe remains optimistic, and is enjoying time spent under the sun out in the field. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995821171-XBJ9GXACROXA5T5LA181/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0175_WEB.jpg Women of Science Laughter can be heard in the distance as the trio walks about the the anchored skiff, before moving on the survey Hichinbrook Island a couple miles out into the inlet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995750126-YSKETFNVJY19HCGV5GY2/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0088_WEB.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995824756-R8UVJT6GCPZICDIDPQPF/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0191_WEB.jpg Women of Science As cloud pillows settle over the coastline, a storm blows in from the south ready to take away what sunshine was left in the day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526151054800-PLAQ8YO3KVEXNS5GZJGT/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0329_2_WEB.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995630445-9FBTE9QR1RO8N552PLIM/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0202_WEB.jpg Women of Science As a storm rolled in over the Prince William Sound, Harjoe sought to press forward with the day’s study. Harjoe was determined to continue the search, but also did not want to put the team into harms way, a tough call to make when finding the time and money to be in the field is fleeting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526151207128-TWOV1QRU9QDB0FSS2NDF/20160623_usfs_toads1_mm_0202_WEB.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525994606690-1I50S5NN005EIXNXS8BX/20160628_usfs_elodea_barrier_mm_0141_WEB.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526326203298-5E57J43URILHXN3M3XFP/20160628_usfs_elodea_barrier_mm_0107_BD_WEB.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526150843507-487LBQ0WHEXDKC3K49SU/20160615_usfs_elizjillianmia_mm_0065_2.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526326410168-41M6I8J7IKH5ZAJMDCGS/racheldyp.jpg Women of Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1525995355445-HYR5DNYFWMOLBX0QS4UX/20160626_usfs_duskycamp_mm_0329_2_WEB.jpg Women of Science When I pressed Gabrielson about why she chose to study in Alaska, she told me it was all about the fusion of various ecosystems. “This giant wetland, the glaciers behind us, the mountains, the landscape, what it does over the course of a season, over the course of a year is really amazing… that is constantly bringing me back because I feel like I’m constantly learning".” https://www.mackmoran.com/about daily 0.75 2023-02-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1596496375742-FVGR20Y40TIK921K8BOR/IG_MAC_%40maxshreds-10-2.jpg Me - hi, I'm Mackenzie. I was born and raised in Metro-Detroit but found a new home on the west coast while earning two bachelor's degrees at the University of Oregon. I married the study of journalism and environmental science into one education. Why? Because I believe environmental issues are human issues. That actually, science and story aren't as different as we think. My specialty may be in science communication, by interests don't stop there. Things I'm known for: bringing passion to the project, doing my research, and not being afraid to get my hands dirty. Things I like: creating human connections, discovering the unknown, color, powder days, and good beer. https://www.mackmoran.com/rachel daily 0.75 2018-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a6e88dd041e2a0ad2aec/1526399693623-NZT65IO4O3PVX6UKFEQ2/racheldyp.jpg Rachel Ertz https://www.mackmoran.com/contact-mack-moran daily 0.75 2023-02-10