Emma received her B.S. in Biology from Piedmont College and her M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. During her master’s she conducted research examining the effects of shoreline erosion on an important breeding area for wading birds in the Lower Cape Fear River. Her career focus thus far has been in plant ecology and conservation, specifically ground cover restoration and rare plant conservation. She has worked in different capacities with GADNR, an earlier stint at the Jones Center (2015), and with the North Carolina Botanical Garden. She is originally from the mountains of Georgia and has spent much of her time working in and exploring the many unique and special ecosystems of the southeast, but the longleaf pine ecosystem continues to be her favorite. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge and skill set through the lens of ecohydrology. When not in the lab, she enjoys being at home tending to and expanding her native plant garden.