Kathy Stenehjem

Conservation Related Experience:
For the past couple years, I have been working at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Middleton, WI. At the USGS, I have mostly worked with a team studying urban stormwater, but I have also worked with  Hydrologic Technicians, researchers studying rural stormwater in Dane county, and researchers studying harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie. In addition to my work at the USGS, a friend and I have received a Wisconsin Idea Fellowship (WIF). With our WIF, we have partnered with the Goodman Community Center after-school program in Madison to run a club teaching elementary students about healthy and sustainable living.

Connection to Conservation Biology:
Both my work for the USGS and for my WIF project have allowed me to apply the knowledge I have gained as a Conservation Biology major to the real world. At the USGS, I have worked in water quality management with the goal of improving the health of aquatic systems in Wisconsin. Through this work, I have applied knowledge gained through the hard science courses I have taken as part of my Conservation Biology major. Alternatively, through my WIF project, I have applied knowledge gained through my social sciences and policy related courses to help me inspire lasting relationships between the children in the Goodman Community Center after school program and the natural world.