Growing up overseas led Melanie to appreciate the diversity of nature, especially birds and mountains. This background and her love of science led her to study Animal Physiology at University of California, San Diego, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. With no immediate plans to go to graduate school, Melanie joined the U.S. Navy where she trained to be a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Diver. Enjoying Navy travel, teamwork and missions, she stayed for a full 20 years before retiring and moving into teaching science at Burroughs High School in Ridgecrest, CA where she still currently works. During her teaching career, Melanie earned a Masters in Education and then in Biology, where she focused her research on the population size and habitat patterns of the migratory Snow Goose in the Indian Wells Valley. Melanie has become fully immersed in the local conservation environmental organizations as a board member on the Kerncrest Audubon Society, Eastern Kern County Resources Conservation District, the CalPAC Methodist Church EcoMinistries Team, and as the Event Coordinator for the annual Conservation in the Indian Wells Valley Day at the Maturango Museum. When not working, Melanie spends her free time backpacking in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, gardening, birding, traveling, and enjoying her various animals at home.
Melanie Branson
Your Support Makes All The Difference
We believe in the work that we do, and the positive impact it has on the world around us. We have big plans for the future and your support makes those visions possible. We sincerely thank you for your support and generosity.