Image by Casey Horner (unsplash)
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In the dense, wooded forests of Bend, Oregon, Emily Wapman would lace up her trail-running shoes and take off into the pine-scented air, beginning her weekly 20-mile run. She would eventually complete her first ultramarathon in 2024, a race that exceeds the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles and varies widely in format, terrain, and length.
In Bend, Emily also conducted field research for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, studying Sierra Nevada red fox den sites. Patience and focus were essential as she set up camera traps at the dens and conducted survey hikes to identify surrounding bird, amphibian, and mammal species. Skills she had honed on the trails of her long runs — where each mile became a lesson in listening, adapting, and moving in rhythm with the environment around her. Her work in conservation is rooted in this same deep attentiveness to the landscape.
Now a first-year Master of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) student at the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara, Emily brings that same intentionality and resilience to her graduate studies. She is interested in both the Conservation Planning and Coastal Resources Management specializations with a Communication Focus. Emily’s path to Bren has been anything but linear. Yet, at every step, she has sought out experiences that placed her at the center of environmental challenges and their inherent complexities.
The Moment it Clicked
Emily’s interest in the natural world began early. “When I was in elementary school, my aunt gave me one of Jane Goodall’s books, and I became completely obsessed,” she recalls.
But her admiration was not limited to the page. Not long after writing in her journal that she dreamed of meeting Jane Goodall, something remarkable happened. “My family went on a train trip to Denver,” Emily says, her eyes lighting up at the memory. “We were walking downtown, and this random ticket lady was like, ‘Do you guys want free tickets to see Jane Goodall’s speech?’”
They said yes, and Emily found herself in the front row, watching her childhood hero speak. The experience, paired with reading Goodall’s work, sparked a deeper realization. “Nature isn’t just pretty animals. There’s actually this conservation piece. And I realized that I really want to do this.”
This spark led her to UC Santa Barbara, where she earned a B.S. in Biology with high honors in 2022. Throughout her undergraduate years, Emily gravitated toward field-based learning and research, building a foundation rooted in curiosity, hands-on experience, and a deepening commitment to conservation. From taxonomic analysis of aquatic insects collected from alpine lakes to intensive fieldwork in the tropical forests and marine ecosystems of Monteverde, Costa Rica, these experiences deepened her commitment to understanding ecosystems from the ground up.
Early Fieldwork Experience and Training
Her introduction to field biology came early in her undergraduate career. As a Freshwater Ecology Research Assistant, she used taxonomic keys to classify aquatic insect populations collected from high-elevation lakes, gaining foundational experience in ecological data collection and analysis. She later participated in the California Ecology and Conservation course through the UC Natural Reserve System — a rigorous, full-time, 50-day field program. There, she designed and conducted research on acorn woodpecker behavior and the effects of increased fire frequency on fire obligate and fire facultative seeders. Through this program, she practiced key field methods including small mammal trapping, vegetation monitoring, and transect sampling.
Following these experiences, Emily expanded her field experience internationally through the Tropical Biology and Conservation Field Research Course at the Monteverde Institute in Costa Rica. She conducted an independent research project examining the effects of climate change on hummingbird altitudinal distribution. Her work culminated in a formal scientific paper, a public presentation, and a nature film documenting her research process and findings.
Together, these experiences deepened her understanding of both technical fieldwork and science communication, learning how to creatively translate complex technical information into accessible and impactful formats.
Integrating Science, Policy, and Practice
In the final year of her undergraduate studies, Emily expanded her academic focus to include marine policy. As a Marine Policy Research Assistant, she analyzed data comparing social and environmental fisheries indicators in relation to climate change. This work highlighted the critical role of policy in enhancing the climate resilience of fisheries and coastal communities.
After graduation, Emily continued to explore the intersections of ecology, data, and decision-making through a series of hands-on positions. At the U.S. Geological Survey in Laurel, Maryland, she contributed to a four-year box turtle study, modernizing their data reporting systems using RStudio to improve public accessibility and visualization. From there, she joined the Biosciences and Biotechnology Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, supporting bioremediation projects as an Academic Graduate Appointee. Her work and research gave her insight into full ecological systems and how they do not function independently from social and policy factors. This interdisciplinary approach was a significant reason why she chose Bren, valuing its emphasis on combining diverse perspectives to solve environmental challenges.
A New Chapter Begins at Bren
Today, as a first-year MESM student at Bren, Emily is excited to integrate her ecological knowledge with interdisciplinary collaboration and policy engagement. She is currently exploring opportunities to work on food systems and their interactions with social systems.
Now back in Santa Barbara, Emily is eager to explore new trails, both in the mountains and in her career. For her, running has always been more than a sport, but a mindset rooted in endurance, awareness, and adaptation. These same qualities guide her work in conservation.
