ELla Meyer | Water Resource Field Specialist I
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From the rainy Pacific Northwest to the dry landscapes of Southern California, water is the lens through which Ella sees the world – its social, spiritual, political, cultural and ecological dimensions continue to fascinate her. Ella is known to stay busy with various creative pursuits, but always finds her way back to her paints. When she is not thinking about water or creating, Ella can almost certainly be found climbing rocks or hiking in the mountains.
At Watershed Progressive, Ella is motivated by actively building the world that she advocates for. She joined the team after spending a year walking long-distance trails in 6 different countries to explore how to transform water uncertainty into water resilience as a Watson Fellow. Over the course of 1,300 miles, Ella witnessed the transition of waterscapes while also learning from local water advocates and communities along the way. This journey sparked her interest in localized landscape design projects as an essential part of re-storying how we relate to our waterscapes.
Previously, Ella coordinated a project in the High Desert town of Adelanto, California, where she helped unite a coalition to create a community water report that brought the issue to the forefront of the City’s agenda. That experience continues to shape her belief in the power of collaboration across diverse communities and cultures in pursuit of shared goals. Ella is also guided by her previous experience in environmental analysis, outdoor education, project coordination, GIS mapping and gardening/farming.
Ultimately, both Ella’s water advocacy and personal wellbeing are sustained by plunging into the alpine lakes of the High Sierra’s. Through hands-on implementation of water solutions, she aims to protect California’s enchanting waters for generations to come.