Willow was raised along the coast of Maine where she connected deeply with the changing water temperatures and gentrifying working waterfronts and cultivated an interest in communicating between environment and industry.  Graduating with a BA in Environmental Policy from Colby College in May 2020, Willow moved to Bozeman where she works as a research analyst for JGRE. Although her undergraduate expertise is in marine conservation, Willow is passionate about the integration of science, policy and communication in all rural spaces and loves learning from her coworkers. Working for JGRE has taught Willow the value of qualitative work, and has opened doors to many exciting new pathways and areas of study. Some of the highlights of her work at JG include understanding producer perception of soil health and educational accessibility for farmers and ranchers, how regenerative agriculture can play a role in drought management in Montana, and above all the pertinence of communication and engagement within any and all areas of social science research.

Willow is grateful to remain a part of the JG team while she pursues a Master’s degree in Marine Policy from the University of Maine as a part of the3D Ecosystem Science NRT. Her thesis work focuses on seafood systems in Maine and will use qualitative methods to better understand the barriers and successes associated with processing, distributing, and marketing local seafood.