The National Park Service is dedicated to sharing a rich American narrative and to highlighting the voices of women whose vision, tenacity, and resilience move them to climb mountains, expand boundaries in science, shape history, and protect the environment.
Explore the stories below that celebrate women and highlight the trailblazing women in the NPS that continue to shape conservation and innovation in science.
The world needs science, and science needs women and girls. It’s your time and you are not alone! There is a community of women in many fields of science who are here for you. They can give you words of wisdom and encouragement to get past tough obstacles to succeed and keep you going. You go girl!
Video by: Mackenzie Reed. Thanks to Katie Nuessly and Leslie Richardson
Changing career paths can be tough, but we are so glad Dr. Amber Runyon chose to become a climate change ecologist and help parks plan for potential future climates they may expect. This article is part of Dare to Imagine, a National Park Foundation grant-funded project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers.
Dr. Hung, a night skies research scientist, fell in love with night sky when she was 10 years old and living in Taipei, Taiwan. This eventually led her to study and get degrees in physics and astronomy. We are lucky that she chose to work at the park service where she uses her specialty to conserve the night sky. This article is part of Dare to Imagine, a National Park Foundation grant-funded project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers.
Meet Veronica Dickerson, Environmental Protection Specialist at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Watch her bloom with confidence as she takes us through her journey of going back to college to becoming the go-to person for cleaning up contaminated sites in the park service. This video is part of a National Park Foundation funded project called the Dare to Imagine project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers and showing what a scientist looks like.
Meet Shauna Ertolacci, an Environmental Protection Specialist at Zion National Park who had to forsake the fear of the unknown to pursue her passion of preserving the environment. Read her story to find out what made this journey worth it. This article is part of a National Park Foundation funded project called the Dare to Imagine project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers and showing what a scientist looks like.
Read about Samantha's STEM summer program for underrepresented girls and how taking one day, one application, one new job at a time helped her overcome her fears. This article is part of a National Park Foundation funded project called the Dare to Imagine project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers and showing what a scientist looks like.
Paleontologist, ReBecca Hunt-Foster is responsible for maintaining the unique fossil collection at Dinosaur National Monument. Excavating these one-of-a-kind specimens is an important process, but so is cleaning and maintaining them. Read more about how ReBecca is highlighting this often overlooked process and her story. This article is part of Dare to Imagine, a National Park Foundation grant-funded project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers.
Read about how Meghan Whitman not only leads a crew that monitors vegetation and fuels before and after both prescribed fires and wildfires, but also dedicated herself to creating the Mental Health Matters group in order to help end the stigma around asking for help and mental health issues. This article is part of Dare to Imagine, a National Park Foundation grant-funded project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers.
Locations:Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Meet Kayla Fermin, a Biological Science Technician at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Watch her inspiring story about service, nature, representation, and maps. This video is part of a National Park Foundation funded project called the Dare to Imagine project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers and showing what a scientist looks like.
Read about Eryn's journey from intern to project manager for a climate science internship program, what she learned about communicating climate science, and the obstacles she faced along the way.
This article is part of a National Park Foundation funded project called the Dare to Imagine project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who are breaking barriers and showing what a scientist looks like.
Meet Erin Stahler, a Biological Science Technician with the Yellowstone Wolf Project who found her dream job. In addition to her work on wolves, she also assists with the capture and collaring of bison, mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk, pronghorn, and cougars. This article is part of a National Park Foundation funded project called the Dare to Imagine project dedicated to highlighting women in parks who who are breaking barriers and showing what a scientist looks like.
