Hello! My name is Katelyn Mae Nisbit. I am 20 years old and a senior at Sacramento State, aiming for a major in Environmental Science, and was a field crew member for SSI this summer. My favorite colors are green and pink. Growing up in a small kind-of-rural town, there was always an abundance of critters.
When I was in middle school, I would count the bugs that flew into the windshield of the car on the way to school. By the time I was in high school, there were many fewer bugs than there once were. This was obviously concerning, but I wasn’t sure what I could do about it. It seemed like such a significant issue that it was impossible for one person to have a meaningful impact. And while it is true that no one person can solve the issue, I soon learned that I could still do something to actively combat climate change.
I had always been good at math and science, but hadn’t really considered it as a career. The person who really helped me realize that I had true potential with science as a career was a fantastic physics teacher. He was very passionate about his subject matter, and any teacher who really cares about what they teach is more interesting.
Before transferring to Sacramento State, at Sierra College, I needed an internship. While searching around, I found out about SSI. I asked in an email about what working there would be like, and I was given a pamphlet. The moment I read that, I was hooked.
My favorite part about working at SSI is the creeks. Creeks can sometimes be forgotten or overlooked, but they are truly some of the most beautiful places, let alone incredibly full of life. They are all so vastly different, while all being in roughly the same area. I get to experience this closely on my weekly creek survey adventures, and I consider myself lucky because of that.
On the contrary, I am not all that fond of driving back to the office after a creek survey. It is rather uncomfortably wet, and hauling all the equipment up the steep stairs after hours of physical labor is not very fun. However, it is so very worth it in the end.
On my first ever creek survey, we only had one mechanical pencil to use to write down all the data. That mechanical pencil proceeded to break. We had to try and write using the tiny, flimsy lead from the pencil. I have many more stories where that came from.
My favorite BMI is the caddisfly, because their casings are really cool. The fact that they make their own little houses from their environment is fascinating and oddly inspiring. For a favorite creek where I’ve worked, Meadow Valley is my go-to. It’s flat, with shallow water, and very pretty.
Another way that I get to appreciate the world around me besides field work is backpacking. This leads to its own collection of funny stories. For example, once a friend asked me to go on a backpacking trip. I immediately said yes, but didn’t have time to pack much. Luckily, I keep much of my backpacking supplies in my car. I did not, however, have time to grab food. I proceed to buy a 3-pound bag of granola at the nearest store, and survive off of that.
One of my favorite things about working with nature is the people. Both with backpacking in my free time and at my job, people are passionate about what they do. The kinds of people who spend their time out trudging through the wilderness are usually not doing it for the money. I love when people begin talking and talking about the specific things they care about. This happens a lot on creek surveys, and while backpacking. It’s one of the most amazing parts, getting to connect with truly passionate people.
