Round River Taku ’16

In the spring of 2017, Ellie graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in her self-designed major, Sustainable Ecological Healing. She spent the following summer conducting vegetation surveys in Northern Minnesota for a university forest ecology lab before venturing west to hike a section of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Due to wildfires and trail closures that season, she ended up in the town of Bend, Oregon, and never left! In the fall of 2017, she landed an internship with the U.S. Forest Service monitoring visitor use on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests in Central Oregon. In the summer of 2018, she was offered a seasonal position working as a Biological Science Technician on the Ochoco National Forest. Her job was to conduct various field surveys for wildlife and botany — similar to her daily tasks during her time in Northwest British Columbia with the Round River Conservation Studies Taku River Summer Program. The following two field seasons, she landed various seasonal positions on the Deschutes National Forest conducting surveys for invasive and sensitive plant species.

In the past year, she has taken time to launch her own artwork business, Ellie McNairy Art. Her work is derived from her experiences in nature — her piece Nakina Salmon (pictured below) was inspired by her trek to the Nakina River during her time with Round River.

This upcoming field season, she’ll be joining the wildlife survey crew on the Deschutes National Forest. “I hope to continue to advance my career within the field of natural resources, potentially obtain a graduate degree, and grow my artwork business. While my professional goals are still evolving, I’ve come far since my Round River experience — it truly shaped my career path and placed me on the trajectory I am today.”