Christine Stephens

Experience

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  Clean Water Action

  May 2014 - Aug 2014

  Community Canvasser

  • Organized and fund-raised around principles of environmental sustainability and accountability to further the organization’s goals by engaging private citizens• Learned about political processes involved in environmental law making• Lobbied members of Pennsylvania state legislature on fracking regulations

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  Penn State Food Services

  Jan 2015 - May 2017

  Crew Leader

  • Supervised and train student employees• Led a team of students co-workers to keep dining hall operations running smoothly• Performed variety of food service related jobs (set-up, serving, dishwashing, clean up, inventory)

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  Stroud Water Research Center

  May 2015 - Aug 2016

  Entomology Intern

  • Sorted and identified aquatic macroinvertebrates from Brandywine and Schuylkill watersheds• Analyzed data to determine water quality and presented to Stroud staff • Learned about invertebrate collection methods (surber sampling and kicknets)• Led education days for students grades 6-8 and taught about macros and stream health

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  NatureServe

  May 2017 - Aug 2017

  Explore Natural Communities Intern

  • Worked in a group to write and produce podcasts about natural communities in National Capitol Region parks for a broad audience• Studied regional native vegetation

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  Borough of State College

  Aug 2017 - Aug 2018

  Environmental Stewardship Americorps Member

  • Managed volunteer groups working on invasive plant removal and park maintainence• Managed and updated the Borough’s tree inventory• Planned and designed woodland restoration and rain garden projects, including extensive research of Northeastern native plants and work in ArcGIS• Communicated with external organizations to coordinate meetings and events• Developed a organizational tool in excel to keep track of sustainability progress

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  Forterra

  Sept 2018 - Jun 2022

  • Plan, implement, and monitor riparian restoration projects on public and private land including prescribing restoration BMPs, developing planting plans, purchasing supplies and materials, and scheduling and overseeing field crews• Serve as the project contact for external partners, building and managing positive relationships with partner organizations, corporations, community groups, government agencies, and private landowners• Create and deliver progress reports, annual reports, and any other reporting metrics as defined by contracts/grants • Design, manage, and implement an annual project budget of $200,000• Collect and analyze GPS data and create project maps using ArcGIS for knotweed control, planting, maintenance, and grant proposals• Coordinate with and provide mentorship to AmeriCorps members and Stewardship Coordinators to ensure deliverables are met Show less • Recruited and managed volunteers for events on Forterra and partner lands to remove invasive plants and plant natives, including training and engaging with volunteers• Provided logistical and leadership support before, during and after volunteer events• Fostered relationships with private landowners along Puget Sound Watershed rivers and assisted in organizing planting projects to increase shade, and improve wildlife habitat, including salmon• Coordinated delivery and planting of over 4,000 trees for Forterra’s carbon offset program Show less

  • Riparian Restoration Project Manager

    Jan 2021 - Jun 2022

  • Riparian Restoration Stewardship Coordinator

    Oct 2019 - Jan 2021

  • Riparian Restoration Fellow

    Jul 2019 - Oct 2019

  • AmeriCorps Stewardship Associate

    Sept 2018 - Jul 2019
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  Woodland Park Zoo

  Feb 2020 - Aug 2021

  Amphibian Monitoring Volunteer

  Visited assigned site to monitor for presence of amphibians one to two times a month February through August and collected abundance, species, and life stage data as well as GPS points and photos.

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  Cramer Fish Sciences

  Jul 2022 - Oct 2022

  Biological Technician

  • Conducted stream habitat surveys in the upper Skagit River and tributaries of Ross Lake to quantify spawning and rearing salmonid habitat available above the Ross dam as part of the dam relicensing process.• Followed USFS Level II and UCM survey methods and WDFW barrier assessment for classifying and measuring attributes of channel units, large wood, gradient, substrate size, discharge and water quality parameters, and measurements of streamside vegetation conditions, and assessing fish passage barriers. • Utilized survey equipment for data collection including laser rangefinder, swoffer, turbidity meter, gravelometer, and direct reading titration alkalinity test kit.• Organized and performed upkeep maintenance of field equipment and supplies. Show less

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  Snohomish Conservation District

  Nov 2022 - now

  Habitat Restoration Project Manager

  • Manage all aspects of stream and floodplain habitat restoration project implementation and fish passage construction including identifying fish passage and habitat restoration project sites, surveying, landowner outreach, developingrestoration, monitoring, and maintenance plans and budgets, obtaining permits, completing procurement of labor and project materials and supplies, and coordinating construction logistics.• Provide site visits and technical assistance to landowners about topics such as fish passage, salmon habitat, native planting, erosion and slope stabilization, local codes and regulations, water quality, and best management practices.• Serve as grant manager for 8 projects with budgets ranging from $100,000-$550,000 including negotiating grant agreements, planning and executing project expenditures, documenting project deliverables, and completing requiredreporting.• Collaborate with county and municipal governments, tribes, and non-profit partners and represent Snohomish Conservation District at regional meetings. Show less