Born in Pocatello, I attended Indian Hills Elementary and Irving Junior High.  As a child, I began developing an appreciation of nature roaming the sagebrush hills near Gibson Jack and walking along the Portneuf River.  After moving to the Wood River Valley and finishing high school in Hailey in the early 90’s, I moved to Colorado.  I obtained my undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Colorado in Boulder and worked at various field stations across the Southern Rockies.  My first job out of college was as a field biologist along the Clark’s Fork River in Western Montana. 

Returning to the Wood River Valley in 2001, I became aware of the conservation efforts of the Wood River Land Trust and was immediately drawn to the unique role a land trust can play in land and habitat conservation.  I took internship with the Wood River Land Trust and worked on everything from mapping and easement monitoring to public outreach and education.  After the 2 year internship, I returned to graduate school to further my understanding of ecology, the impact of land use choices on ecological processes, and land use policy at Oregon State University, with the intention of returning to the land trust field, hopefully someday back in Idaho.

In 2006, I began working as the Stewardship Coordinator at Placer Land Trust in Northern California.  As a member of a small staff, I worked on everything from monitoring conservation easements and managing working landscapes, to helping draft land trust policy and working through complicated mitigation projects.  What I enjoyed most about the experience was the opportunity to work with, and be challenged by, people who are deeply committed to land conservation.  I am excited to be a part of SSRLT and the community effort we are making to maintain and protect Southern Idaho’s high quality of life. 

Since returning to Pocatello, I have rediscovered the beauty of the great landscape in which we live.  From mountain biking and horseback riding out Mink Creek to skiing the back side of Pebble Creek, I love being back!  Travelling around, I am awestruck by the rivers and streams, basalt and sagebrush, intact habitat supporting vibrant wildlife, and working farms and ranches that make this region such a unique place to live, work, and play.

Heidi was born in Blackfoot, Idaho and moved to Pocatello when she was 11 years old. She was fortunate enough to grow up exploring the mountain and desert regions around me, which lead to my love for the natural world.  She enjoys spending time outdoors fishing, camping, hiking, backpacking, or just reflecting.  For her, nothing can brighten a day better than sitting in the middle of an aspen grove and just listening to the wind rustle in the leaves. 

Currently, Heidi is a graduate student in the department of biological sciences at Idaho State University.  When she started college, her major was listed as Zoology, but after just one class in Ecology she knew that was the field of study she wanted to pursue.  She began doing research for Dr. Nancy Huntly in the sagebrush steppe community at City of Rocks National Reserve while working on her undergraduate degree.  It took one week in this amazing area for her to realize that plants are great study subjects--they are beautiful and they do not move!  After receiving her undergraduate degree in Plant Community Ecology in May of 2008, she continued her research at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (CRMO) as a graduate student.  The focus of her research is the relationship between the invasive grass species, Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), the plant communities, and soil nitrogen cycle of the sagebrush steppe.