Erin Canter Email & Phone Number

Greater Asheville

Townsend, Tennessee

In brief: get outside to explore, learn, and have fun connecting to others and the natural world.In depth: Advance the organization’s pedagogy to enhance science literacy through faculty training, application of education research, and translation of scientific concepts into audience appropriate termsRecruit, train, and manage >45 community science volunteers for projects related to plant phenology, biodiversity monitoring, species identification and safe handling, Lepidoptera ID and monarch tagging, data entry, bird banding, and science communicationOrganize, plan, and facilitate two week-long summer science camp for campers aged 12-17 years old, including a pay-what-you can Girls in Science campCo-created The Schoolyard Network- a community of practice for k-12 teachers that provides curriculum based explorations for teachers to use in their own schoolyards, and facilitates peer sharing of better practices for student place-based engagement in the outdoors.Co-created Schoolyard Escape-an annual schoolyard workshop for >30 k-12 classroom teachers that provides engaging and standards-based explorations that can be done in any schoolyard.Serve on internal Equity TeamFacilitate biweekly equity meetings that address inequities within the organization (with a focus on race and gender). Act as a liaison between upper level leadership and frontline faculty and staffCollaborate with National Park Service and Discover Life in America researchers, staff, and volunteers, to coordinate efforts in conservation and to create pathways into environmental work and connection to place for young professionals through hands on research and public education Design and Facilitate multi-day experiential education programs for elementary through college, + adult

Tucson, Arizona Area

In brief: spent time learning, exploring, and restoring a new-to-me ecosystem with conservation minded young adultsIn depth: Lead a Tucson-based crew of young adults (aged 18-25) to complete conservation projects for the National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Pima CountyProjects include erosion control (native plant restoration, berm construction), invasive plant identification and removal, native plant nursery maintenance (planting, pruning, transplanting), trail work (rock work, re-tread, water bar, dip, culvert, switch back construction), facilities maintenance (trash collection/painting/cement laying), fencing installment/repair/removal (proficiency with tensioner, fencing pliers), hazardous tree and brush removal (chainsaw)Facilitated lessons on effective communication, leadership, and environmental stewardshipProvided midterm and end of term member performance reviews

Kalispell

In brief: took some teenagers into the backcountry for weeks on end to build trails, kill invasive plant species, and build a community with each other and the world despite knowing they gave me pinworms.In depth: Led youth conservation crews on month-long immersion expeditions in the Northern Rockies (youth age: 14-18)Facilitated educational courses/games in leadership development, civic engagement, environmental stewardship (including Leave No Trace), public land use, and Native/ancestral land historyTrained youth members to conduct wildlife surveys (Citizen Science), maintain campsites, build trails, properly use and maintain tools (chainsaws and assorted digging tools) and identify/remove noxious weeds, riparian area restorationUsed chainsaws for hazardous tree and brush removal, cleared >80 acres of noxious weeds, built >2 miles of trail and retreaded >5 miles, maintained >250 campsites

In brief: looked at the tiny aquatic life that lives inside the leaves of a carnivorous plant species and tried to figure out how they interact with each other and the plant.In depth: Researched the ecology of the microorganisms that live inside Sarracenia purpurea leavesDesigned experiments, collected, processed, and analyzed metagenomic data over a 3 year period (including R for statistical analysis), published/presented findings Proficient with 16S rRNA extraction, purification, PCR amplification, and sequencing (iTag)Published findings in the journal EcologyTrained new lab members on protocols and aseptic techniques for DNA handlingTaught 35 students as a teaching assistant for “Environmental Science”

Cameroon

In brief: made a lot of friends, learned a couple languages, and ate a lot of corn in many forms.In depth: Recruited/trained volunteers to build and maintain native tree nurseries for agroforestry (live fences and intercropping) including >1000 acacia tree saplingsFostered a community of lasting relationships, cultural exchange, and connectionCreated a one acre demonstration plot for soy intercropping (nitrogen replenishing legumes)Facilitated public meetings re: maternal health/nutrition, underutilized crops, and soy transformation to milk and tofuSubstitute Teacher for 8th grade English, facilitated in FrenchLearned French and Fulfulde to build better relationships with neighbors and colleagues

Gainesville, Florida, United States

In brief: planted, treated, and measured aquatic plants in laboratory settings to understand the effects of herbicide on both native and invasive species of FloridaIn depth: Managed experimental set-up and collected time series data of invasive species populations and effects of herbicide on native and invasive species in freshwater rivers and lakesProficient in species-level identification of vascular and non-vascular plantsCollected plant samples from the field for transport and analysis, including data entry of dry biomass, population density along transects, and biodiversity change over timePresented findings as a guest lecturer to university Environmental Science courses (FSU)

Master Of Science - Ms, Biological Oceanography

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Environmental Science