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Originally hailing from Bethesda, MD, Meredith pursued a B.S. in Forestry from UC Berkeley, an M.S. in Forest Ecosystems and Society from Oregon State University (OSU), and an M.S. in Sociology from University of Oregon (UO). Through her time working in the College of Forestry at OSU and with the InterTribal Timber Council, her interest in the role of fire in Oregon and Pacific Northwest ecosystems was ignited. There she gained social science research skills and became increasingly passionate about environmental justice in forest management, and the intersection of social and political dynamics with land management. When not volunteering to support prescribed fires in the Willamette Valley or spending time with her husband, you can find Meredith pursuing a PhD at UO focused on community- engaged research that supports beneficial relationships between people, forests, and fire. Her research is a collaborative partnership with FireGen’s research team. This community-based participatory research engages young people ages 16-30 to envision their future involvement in fire stewardship work and identify needed structures and policies to enable their involvement. This research will highlight how young people engage with fire and provide valuable insight for decision makers (and the larger fire community) to create more inclusive policies and spaces. You can find out more about this research and the community of mentors and collaborators supporting this work here. Meredith views fire as a window into alternative ways of relating to land and to each other. As a non-Native person, Meredith strives to support the return of Indigenous sovereignty over Indigenous fire and help create a more inclusive fire community. Keep an eye out for an upcoming spotlight about Meredith in our “women in fire” series on social media. Most importantly, Meredith’s favorite fire-adapted species is the California quail (Callipepla californica).
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