Heather Nelson Email & Phone Number

Bellingham, Washington, United States

Berkeley, California, United States

PI: Iryna Dronova, PhD, Landscape Research GroupDuring my two senior semesters, I programmed and adapted code under Dr. Dronova using Google Earth Engine, an open source geospatial processing platform. We worked to quantify spatiotemporal change in greenness (NDVI) and heat (LST) in all California cities over a 30 year period. I sourced and processed city boundaries and imported LANDSAT imagery, then troubleshot processing cap issues via strategies including object-based analysis and altered resolutions. Finally, I compiled and ran linear regression in R on outputs by city. Throughout this period, I gained exposure to literature on urban greening programs, impacts of climate change on urban tree health, and sociological predictors of vegetation.

Berkeley, California, United States

Supervisor: Shannen Casey, Sustainability Program CoordinatorI led select sustainability initiatives in UC Berkeley dining commons and residence halls, including student and staff education, food waste reduction, move-out donation drives, and waste sorting efficacy. I also supported other coordinators in projects including increasing vegan sourcing options, assessing electricity and water usage, and managing student-supported campus gardens.To this end, I communicated between multi-departmental management and staff, and guided intern teams to implement projects. I designed data collection protocol and analyzed kitchen waste streams, and created design materials for marketing and education in Canva and Adobe Illustrator.

Berkeley, California, United States

Throughout my junior and senior years, I worked to revive and establish this club post-pandemic, with the mission of building a long-lasting, inclusive community which fostered interdisciplinary understanding, representation, and inclusivity in ecology, wildlife biology, and outdoor recreation. I had the privilege of directing weekly events for what grew to be 150 registered members, leading a recruited team of 10 officers, facilitating student-faculty engagement, and overseeing diverse projects such as fundraising, grant writing, speakers, trips, volunteering, and career events. (instagram: @calwildlifesociety)

Berkeley, California, United States

Liasion: Della Moran, Member Education CoordinatorI oversaw a 10 person manager team to ensure accountability in creation of an organized, equitable, and safe 28 member cooperative house. I scheduled meetings, created agendas, and facilitated discussion for weekly house and manager meetings, ensuring adherence to community agreements. This involved mediating conflicts between house members one to one, with a restorative justice approach, and following institutional procedure. I also worked to integrate new members and supply resources to current members via weekly open hours. I coordinated semesterly workshops on harm reduction, consent, disability, and anti-oppression.

Oroville, California, United States

Supervisor: Maria Cisneros, District Biologist, and Mary Muchowski, Biological Technician, on the Plumas National Forest, Feather River Ranger DistrictI primarily surveyed protected birds and amphibians of the Sierra Nevadas, including California spotted owls, northern goshawks, peregrine falcons, bald eagles, foothill and Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, and red-legged frogs. Avian survey techniques included broadcast calling, mousing, and intensive stand searches. I conducted stream surveys, including chytrid-safe catching, measurement, photography, and pit tagging training (under Colin Dillingham, District Biologist of Mt. Hough District). I recorded detailed written and digital notes on Avenza from each field visit, then imported geospatial data from surveys in ArcGIS Pro, creating final maps summarizing findings and detailed habitat analyses. I also completed standardized forms post-survey.

Berkeley, California, United States

PI: Kyle Leathers, PhD Candidate, Ruhi LabDuring my sophomore fall semester, I identified benthic freshwater macroinvertebrates to taxonomic order under microscope using a dichotomous key as part of a group of undergraduate research assistants. I separated, preserved, and labeled samples, recording data and calculating population estimates in Excel. This data contributed to research on altered riparian ecological structure and niches under climate-changed induced low flows.

Berkeley, California, United States

PI: Rachel Weinberg, PhD Candidate, Tsutsui LabDuring spring and summer of my freshman year, I determined genetic relatedness of Argentine ant supercolonies at urban and preserve field sites through behavioral assays. I recorded this data in Excel and mapped the local range of a newly identified invasive supercolony in Berkeley based on point data. This role also involved engaging with members of the public about insects while in the field, and helped me learn and apply concepts of genetic bottlenecks, intraspecies behavioral differentiation, and urban microhabitat variability.

Chula Vista, California, United States

As a high schooler, I participated in and helped manage coastal and riparian trash clean-ups as a volunteer for a local, education-focused zoo-aquarium. I educated visiting children on local wildlife and sustainability at a crafts booth. I also spoke to community members about the center’s programs at local outreaches.

Chula Vista, California, United States

Supervisor: Katherine MatthewsI worked in the internship program to support the center's zero waste initiatives, under the mission of "inspiring the community to connect with and care for our coastal environment." I helped manually maintain healthy compost bins to divert all on-site organic waste from the landfill, recorded compost temperature data over time, and quantified waste produced from events via weighing and sorting. I engaged with guests at events as a "trash talker," informing them about environmental benefits of proper waste sorting, and led introductory visitor workshops on backyard composting.