Dr. Helen Neville is a scientist who has been inspiring decision making here at Trout Unlimited for over sixteen years. She grew up with both of her parents working in the medical field as doctors; Helen started out at university as a pre-med student, looking to follow in her parents’ footsteps. One day, during casual conversation about life, as one typically questions during their undergrad years, Helen’s mom pointed out how much Helen really thrived in the outdoors and how much she would light up being in nature. Her mom encouraged her to follow her passion and curiosity through her own lens, to find the path that would carry her through her working life.
Once Helen found this path, she never looked back. Helen was encapsulated in the fact that conservation and humanity are intertwined. Ultimately, as she progressed in graduate school, she uncovered an interest in conservation genetics. Her work ultimately focused on understanding how landscapes and human impacts affect the genetics of trout and salmon. “Genetics is all about how we interact with the world around us” says Helen. In trout specifically, she finds that they have such interesting life histories; it changes as they respond to their environments. In an article written for TU national, Helen’s work is summed up as understanding the current ‘health’ of populations and what they need in terms of management: information about movement, population size, population stability, and hybridization with non-native trout.
However, her work is much more than that. When asked about some of her most meaningful work at TU, she emphasized “Working with the climate change working group, which started in 2013. We’ve made a lot of progress and awareness of climate change. We have great outreach and ways to advocate and engage.” She also dials off an impressive list of internal changes and opportunities that she has helped create – bridging the gap between science and policy, two of TU’s foundational columns of support.
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we want to applaud Helen and encourage the next generation to be inspired by her work in Science. Helen says one cool thing about getting involved in STEM these days is that there are so many different opportunities for community science projects available. She encourages youth interested in STEM to get on social media (including TU’s!) or search around in your own community to explore your interests and find opportunities to try it out. We all know scientists: think about your teachers, neighbors, or family friends and reach out to them and start a conversation. They’ll know a great place to start opening the doors to your interests.
Written by Ashlynn Goody, Policy & Outreach Associate for Idaho Trout Unlimited based in Boise, Idaho.