Lunstrum Lab
With Maddi Stevens, I run a biweekly lab that largely supports our work on Blackfoot buffalo restoration and our emerging project on jurisdictional fragmentation. We also use the time to talk about how our projects connect to and advance current conservation and political ecology debates and warmly encourage going down any number of scholarly rabbit holes. The work brings together the two of us with a group of talented and passionate young researchers.
Melanie Figueroa Zavala
Research Assistant
melaniefigueroaz@u.boisetate.edu
Melanie is an undergraduate student at Boise State University and a Research Assistant for the ILER project. She is pursuing a B.A. in Global Studies and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, with minors in Environmental Studies and Critical Theory, as well as certificates in Arabic and Spanish. Melanie’s academic and professional work centers on the intersections of global equity, environmental justice, and critical theory, with a deep commitment to supporting Indigenous-led initiatives.
Through her work with ILER, Melanie has conducted literature reviews on themes such as more-than-human relationships and traditional ecological knowledge, engaging in broader conversations that position Buffalo as teachers in ecological and cultural restoration. She is particularly drawn to the empowerment of Indigenous knowledge systems and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from and contribute to this work.
Annabel Christiansen
Research Assistant
annabelchristian@u.boisestate.edu
Annabel is a Research Assistant on the ILER project and an undergraduate student at Boise State University, majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Urban Studies and Community Development. She is also pursuing a certificate in Environmental Education. Annabel has many research interests, including Indigenous-led conservation, environmental justice, and co-management between Western and Indigenous institutions/actors.
Annabel feels a strong sense of connection with her work as a research assistant, and believes that Indigenous voices should be heard and amplified in conversations surrounding conservation and sustainability.
Sarah Pearce
Research Assistant
sarahpearce@boisestate.edu
Sarah is a Research Assistant on the ILER project and an undergraduate student at Boise State University, majoring in Computer Science with an emphasis in Cybersecurity. As a Research Assistant, most of her work has been centered around the design and development of the ILER website, alongside various other project components such as multimedia output production and resource compilation.
Sarah believes that centering Indigenous voices in conversations surrounding environmental restoration is crucial, and is proud to be a part of a project that reflects that. She is passionate about ecological restoration and has been a part of several climate initiatives, including the Boise Youth Climate Strike.
Jayden Rehwalt
Research Assistant
jaydenrehwalt@u.boisestate.edu
Jayden is a research assistant on the Indigenous-Led Ecological Restoration (ILER) project and is supporting research for a new initiative focused on climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation. She is an Environmental Studies undergraduate student at Boise State University with a strong interest in ensuring underrepresented communities have a voice in shaping climate solutions.
Among her many meaningful experiences at Boise State, Jayden considers her work with ILER a highlight, as it has allowed her to explore ways to explore the role of Indigenous voices in environmental management. She has also enjoyed diving deeper into her interests in the intersection of biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation strategies, gaining insights into how these efforts can work together to create sustainable and just solutions.
LIBBY LUNSTRUM 