Emily Powell

Southern Non-Native Invasive Species Coordinator

As the Non-native Invasive Species Coordinator, Emily’s role involves inventorying and controlling invasive species, managing vegetation in open areas, and coordinating with conservation partners throughout the southern region of the A.T. Emily grew up with a fascination of the outdoors spending time camping, hiking, and playing in the creeks of south-central Ohio. She worked in nature preserves across Ohio monitoring rare plants, restoring sensitive habitats, and removing invasive species before relocating to Asheville, North Carolina in 2017. Since then, Emily has held a variety of roles protecting natural resources in western North Carolina, such as stewarding conserved lands, stream and wetland restoration, rare species surveys, managing a native plant nursery, and eradicating invasive infestations. Some of her favorite work is knee-deep in the muck of a southern Appalachian bog killing multiflora rose on a sunny day. Emily earned her B.A. in Field Ecology from Ohio University and her M.S. with a botany concentration from Tennessee Tech. Her thesis research focused on the reproductive dynamics of Physaria globosa, an endangered wildflower. She usually spends her free time similar to her work week- outside on a great trail looking at plants.