Sophie’s primary role as Land Conservation Associate is to assist the Lands Program team with conservation projects in the Southern Blue Ridge. She may be found coordinating land and conservation easement acquisitions, communicating with landowners and partners, visiting and mapping properties, or helping with stewardship.
From a small homestead in Cherokee County, she was raised in the Piedmont with her sisters. Sophie earned a B.S. in Biology from Appalachian State, focusing on ecology, environmental science, animals, and GIS. After working on farms, a fellowship out west, and a couple of years as a conservation educator and wildlife technician for nonprofits in central and northern Appalachia, she thought it was time to take what she had learned about applied conservation and bring it back home. Sophie feels privileged to serve this region’s lands, waters, and communities.
She comes from a family of artists and makers and is always working on a creative project. She enjoys backpacking, scratch cooking and fermentation, and cozy days at the library.
