Welcome to the team, Cherice!
In her words: As a native Floridian, I have long been drawn to Florida’s natural communities. I first became enamored by our state’s rich biodiversity on Girl Scouts camping trips throughout Central Florida. This interest led me to complete a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and later a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Ecology, from the University of Florida. During my masters program I studied the diversity of native bees in fire-maintained pine savannas, which deepened my understanding of the critical role of native plants in our ecosystems and cemented my passion for conserving them. Over the years I have worked in several different capacities within the fields of ecological research and conservation, including as an environmental monitor on the BP oil spill response, a native pollinator researcher with the UF Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab, and as a field biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Research Institute. Before joining FNPS, I worked