Kelsey Songer

Kelsey spent much of her childhood wandering trails and exploring the hillsides of Santa Barbara. Naturally, this upbringing led her to pursue a degree in Ecology & Evolution from UC Santa Cruz. As an undergrad, she began working with a postdoc investigating soil-legacy effects of French broom (Genista). Her work at UCSC continued for several years after receiving her degree, and in that time she studied plant-pollinator interactions and plant-fungal dynamics in Santa Cruz and the surrounding areas. Kelsey has thoroughly enjoyed studying these systems and feels most at home among the flora of the Bay Area. As a professional botanist, she now explores trails and hillsides with a bit more purpose than she did in her youth and hopes that her work will contribute to the preservation of the incredible plant communities within Point Reyes National Seashore and the neighboring parks.