Kenna Rewcastle is a PhD student at The University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources where her research investigates the impact of climate change on the functioning of mountain ecosystems. Kenna has experience studying the ecology of mountain ranges around the world, from Southern Greenland to the tropical rainforests of Monte Verde in Costa Rica. Originally from the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, Kenna holds a BA in ecosystem ecology from the University of Tennessee and comes to UVM after a Fulbright Fellowship where she studied reindeer populations in Sweden for a year.

Kenna’s love for mountains extends beyond her academic research and spills into her every hour of free time when she can be found rock climbing at many of the local crags scattered along the Long Trail or backpacking and camping with friends. Kenna aspires to hike the entire Long Trail during her time as a PhD student. She is excited to participate in the Green Mountain Club’s Board of Directors as she envisions a career that allows her to leverage her scientific research to benefit the vision of local organizations that seek to implement sustainable land conservation and management strategies. She lives with her partner in Winooski, Vermont, and loves spending time on Burlington’s bike path system and escaping to the mountains nearby in all seasons to snowboard and rock climb.