Ecologist Chelcy Miniat shares watershed moments of her career and life, from a spark of science in sixth grade, to her time at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, to her decisions about if and when to have children.

Chelcy is the program manager of the Rocky Mountain Research Station Maintaining Resilient Dryland Ecosystems (MRDE) program, a group of scientists that investigates the biology, use, management, and restoration of grasslands, shrublands, and deserts. Her own research is centered on developing a mechanistic understanding of watershed ecosystem function by studying how abiotic and biotic factors (species, environmental variables, disturbances) regulate carbon, nutrient, and water cycling processes.

Related Research:

• The Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory and the Coweeta Long‐Term Ecological Research Project (2021)

Scientist:

• Chelcy Miniat, Maintaining Resilient Dryland Ecosystems Program Manager, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Albuquerque, New Mexico

If you're interested in hearing from more women in the Forest Service, visit the National Forest Service Library and their HerStory oral history project.

Produced by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.

Want more information? Visit us at https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/nrs/products/multimedia/podcasts/forestcast-season-3-women-research-episode-3-watershed-moments

Questions or ideas for the show? Connect with Jon at: jonathan.yales@usda.gov