Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
I was raised in Cananea, a small town in northern Sonora where my family has owned and operated a cattle ranch for many generations. I grew up watching my father tend to the land, plants, and animals. And I watched him get up at 3 a.m. to fight fires and sleep next to sick animals for multiple nights in a row to ensure their safety. Witnessing my father’s hard work and love fostered in me a deep appreciation for ranchers and what they do. And so I made it a goal of mine to help ranchers like my father. I decided to focus my studies on rangelands. With my education, I plan to provide ranchers with the proper tools to make well-informed management decisions, as well as help answer their questions and document their knowledge when it’s shared.
In 2017, I completed a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources at the University of Arizona with an emphasis in Ecology, Management, and Restoration of Rangelands. Then, in 2021, I got my master’s in Rangeland Ecosystem Science at Colorado State University. My thesis was on wild horse management. From there, I moved to Hawaii and worked as a state rangeland technician. And now, I’m back in Arizona working on a PhD at the University of Arizona in Ecology, Management, and Restoration of Rangelands. My current research focus is on invasive plant management, and in particular buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris). I’m honored to be part of the Sky Island Alliance and am looking forward to contributing to its mission of connecting “the binational landscapes, people, and wildlife of the Sky Islands for the benefit of all.”