My Experience
SUMMARY
Environmental scientist with 10+ years of experience in research, design, implementation and management of projects that solve complex problems and develop sustainable solutions. I work with innovative, applied scientific approaches that bridge agriculture, ecological remediation, restoration and waste management and develop interdisciplinary teams of industry, governmental, academic and community organization partners for greatest impact.
Focus areas: applied mycology, bioremediation, soil science, ecological restoration, waste management, soil contamination, environmental microbiology, carbon dynamics, food systems, watershed health and environmental sustainability.
Strengths: vision, building strong collaborations, lab skills, creativity, field and greenhouse research skills, soil analysis, experimental design, project management, science communication
HIGHLIGHTS OF ACHIEVEMENTS
Effective Science Researcher and Communicator: Researched and wrote 23 factsheets, research support and figure creation for a Cambridge Press textbook, 4 newspaper/journal articles, 37 outreach pieces, 1 scientific publication (4 in preparation), 3 blogs, 12 wikis; Public speaking evidenced by 80 presentations; 400+ workshops and trainings; 10 guest lectures; 7 university classes.
Environmental Health and Sustainability Educator: Facilitated and taught hundreds of hands-on and presentation-style workshops on topics including environmental science, bioremediation, organic food gardening, mushroom cultivation, food security, healthy eating, and environmental issues with children, youth and adults with home-learners, community centres and other non-profit groups and organizations in North America and internationally.
Skilled Project Design, Implementation and Management: Solves pressing environmental and social problems from problem to concept to solution including implementation, team building and project sustainability. 9 successful projects of my own design and execution from the ground up, still running sustainably and expanding based on success 5-10 years later.
Human Resources Management: Through my various roles such as Executive Director of a non-profit organization, owner of my own business, board positions such as ‘Outreach Chair’ with associations such as the Association for Women in Science, and Project Investigator of the Healing City Soils project, I have managed more than 200 volunteers; 60+ interns; 25 staff; 48 students.
Team and Network Builder, Partnership and Collaboration Development: Exceptionally strong at forging collaboration where there wasn’t before. I’ve built 9 teams involving 110+ partner organizations, institutions, industry/businesses and groups that have lasted up to 10 years and some being considered for adoption by well-regarded institutions such as the United Nations.
SELECT CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE
1. Applied bioremediation research. Through my applied mycology business, I operate my own lab and have designed experiments and undertook research and development of innovative myco-remediation methods to address toxic waste products; including Teflon-based lubricants and cigarette butts, and contaminated soils and watersheds through interdisciplinary projects with governmental, funding, industry, community, and academic groups and institutions.
a) Fungal substrate degradation and remediation experiment. Role: Mycological Consultant. 2021-present.
I was contracted to design an experiment based on objectives and hypotheses set by a remediation company to explore various fungi’s ability to increase substrate porosity and permeability for bioremediation, train staff in methods for culturing fungi and carrying out the experiment, and interpret data and findings for publication afterwards.
b) The Ground Beneath Our Feet: Reciprocity in Soil Restoration. Role: Project Founder and lead. 2020-
I designed a field study testing native plants, fungi and microbes’ ability to extract metals of concern from contaminated soils across three sites over a 1.5-year experiment. Partners: Victoria Compost Education Centre, PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation.
c) Cigarette Butt Myco-Degradation Research. Role: PI and researcher. 2017- 2018.
In collaboration with the Camosun College Chemistry Department and the Tofino Botanical Garden Foundation; bench scale testing of a mycodigester employing primary decomposer fungi to degrade PAH’s and other toxic chemicals in cigarette butts to safe levels and meet municipal objectives for reducing cigarette pollution. Findings are in preparation for publication: Myco-digesters for common toxic wastes: A Working Model for Reducing the Toxicity of Cigarette Buts with Pleurotus ostreatus.
d) Teflon-based Lubricants Myco-remediation. Role: PI and researcher. 2016-2017.
In collaboration with Recyclistas Community Bike Shop, experimentation and bench-scale testing of mixed fungal-microbial degradation of PTFE in bike lubricants and development of biodigester to reduce the toxic waste the shop landfills.
e) ‘Backyard Regeneration Project’, Victoria B.C. Role: PI and researcher. 2015 - 2017
In collaboration with Ecological Restoration Dept at University of Victoria and Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group. Design and implementation of multiple projects to remediate sites of food production with heavy metal and chemical soil contamination. Three sites were explored over two years: one community garden, one backyard garden, and one farm.
2. Soil Contamination Testing and Mapping. My commitment to environmental justice and community-based research is demonstrated through the ‘Healing City Soils’ project I founded in 2015 and my work as community soil testing fellow with Public Lab.
a) Through this partnership between Royal Roads University, the local Compost Education Centre and municipalities in the Capital Region, we have offered free soil testing for toxic metals at 500+ sites of food production- urban farms, backyard gardens and community gardens and personalized soil test interpretation.
b) The soil quality data is available on an online map developed by students at the University of Victoria: soil quality map
c) Academic publication in preparation. Metal Concentration, Bioavailability and Human Health Risk in Food Garden Soils in Greater Victoria, Canada: a community-university research partnership. Danielle Stevenson, Steeve Deschenes, Matt Dodd.
d) Through the Public Lab Community Soil Science Fellowship, I facilitated soil testing, contamination mapping and soil analysis training in underserved communities affected by hurricane Harvey in Houston area. This was published here: Soil Testing at the Houston Barnraising
SELECT AWARDS & FELLOWSHIPS
I have been honored with 12 awards and fellowships totaling $1,037,000 since 2018.
City of Los Angeles, funding for phyto-mycoremediation research. 2021-2023.
UCR Centre for Health Disparities Research. Continuity-Collaboratory Graduate Student Award. 2021-2022.
Annenberg Foundation. c/o CoRenewal. Grant for “Survey of Fungi on Toxic-Metal-Contaminated Sites.” 2020.
Foundation for Food and Agriculture (FFAR). Future Leaders in Food and Agriculture Fellowship. 2019-2022.
University of California Office of the President, Global Food Institute. UCR Food and Sustainability Fellowship. 2019-2020.
UCR Environmental Dynamics and Geo-Ecology Institute (EDGE Institute). Graduate Scholarship. 2019.
Public Lab. Community Science Soil Testing Fellowship. 2019.
CAREER PROGRESSION [reverse chronological order]
Environmental Toxicology Graduate Student Researcher, University of California, Riverside 2018-present
Conduct research in the field of Environmental Toxicology while also developing dissertation project and serving as a teaching assistant. Concurrently, maintain consulting projects and serve as Board Member for a 501©3 organization.
▪ Served as Teaching Assistant for Environmental Economics for two terms and Introduction to Soil Science for one term. Received numerical ratings higher than the departmental and campus mean in student evaluations.
▪ Conducted research within the Soil Biogeochemistry Group, working on 7 key projects on food waste, sustainable agriculture, biochar, soil carbon sequestration, isolation of tar-degrading fungi for remediation, plant-growth promoting microbes (with focus on mycorrhizal fungi), mechanisms of fungal inhibition of toxic metal uptake in crops and health disparities and soil metals.
Neighborhood Food Access Coordinator, Coalition of Neighborhood Houses, Victoria B.C. Canada 2012-2018
Oversaw and developed the Coalition’s Food Access and Distribution program, a food recovery partnership between 8 community centers and food distributors that enables community centers to provide healthy food and build food literacy and food skills. Served as the public face of the organization including stakeholder meetings, media communications, and outreach.
▪ Increased by 300% the number of people served through food programs-from 7000 in 2012 to over 21,000 in 2018.
▪ Brought in over $150,000 of food donations monthly
▪ Wrote successful grants to support the program totaling more than $500,000
▪ Supported/facilitated the development of 8 new, targeted food access and literacy programs to meet neighborhood specific needs
Executive Director, LifeCycles Project Society, Victoria B.C. Canada 2011 – 2012
Provided leadership to the staff and board to meet organizational goals related to food security in Greater Victoria; Managed day-to-day operations and communications for the organization; Was accountable to the Board and Membership of the organization.
• Grew social enterprise efforts of the organization through value-added products and service offerings;
• Secured $100,000 of funding and managed the budget of this ~$300,000 organization
• Supported the revamping of policy and procedures to support strategic organization objectives;
• Built relationships and networked within the community, private and non-profit sector to further organizational objectives and food security in the region;
• Takeaways: project management, staff management, sustainability outreach
Urban Agriculture Outreach Coordinator, LifeCycles Project Society, Victoria B.C. Canada 2009-2011
Developed and coordinated the Urban Agriculture Hub, including: organizing an urban agriculture workshop series, online hub, and research and resource development;
• Designed and implemented a new Garden Creation program including: training and coordinating 20 core 'Digger' volunteers and creating more than 30 new organic food gardens in the Greater Victoria region with 15+ diverse community groups and businesses
• Developed and implemented a new garden creation social enterprise to sustain our work, including: site assessments, designing culinary gardens, proposals, marketing, and developing business and community partnerships;
• Outreach and networking including informal and formal workshops and education, regular meetings with community partners, and regular presence at relevant food security events
Growing Schools Coordinator, LifeCycles Project Society, Victoria B.C. Canada 2014 – 2015
Coordinated and managed the Growing Schools program, including: designing and facilitating food systems workshops in more than 15 schools with 50 volunteers;
• Developed and coordinated the creation of resources to support urban agriculture including educational workshops, fact sheets and community garden creation.
CONSULTING
In tandem with working full-time and/or attending school full-time, I have secured frequent consulting projects and run my own additional business. Full list of contracts available by request.
Riparian Restoration Technician contract. Client: Slocan Valley Streamkeepers, Winlaw B.C. Canada. 2017.
Environmental Technician- Waste Auditor. Client: Tetra Tech Inc. in Cowichan Valley B.C. Canada, 2017.
State of the Child Report: Inspiring Action on the Saanich Peninsula. Client: Peninsula Connections for Early Childhood. Saanich, B.C. Canada. 2017.
Independent Primary Assessment of Husky Energy Oil Contamination into Saskatchewan River. Segovia, R., Stevenson, D., Darwish, L. For: Council of Canadians, Council of Manitoba Chiefs and Idle No More. 2016.
Food Security Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study. Client: Coalition of Neighborhood Houses. 2012. Victoria, B.C. Canada.
Food System Discussion Paper. Research Support. Client: The City of Victoria. 2009.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Founder and Technical Adviser, Healing City Soils September 2015 – present. Victoria Compost Education Centre, Victoria B.C. Canada
● Manages student teams from Royal Roads University to offer free soil testing for heavy metals to gardeners and farmers; public outreach and education across municipalities through workshops and resources about soil contamination and how to improve soil quality;
● Oversees the creation and population of a soil quality map for Greater Victoria which includes data from 500+ sites with Geography-GIS students at University of Victoria.
Owner and Founder, D.I.Y. Fungi Est. 2012
Offers mycological education, consulting, training and mushroom cultures to enable people to grow their own mushrooms for food and medicine at various scales;
● Bioremediation and ecological restoration project design and implementation; research and development of myco-remediation technologies for waste treatment.
● Consultation and operations manager for several successful gourmet and medicinal mushroom farms including South Africa mushroom food security initiative, Colorado, Mexico and throughout Canada
● Wrote blog with numerous factsheets, posts, and articles about mushroom cultivation and remediation at http://www.diyfungi.blog
SELECT EDUCATIONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Ph.D. Student in Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Riverside 2018-2023. Deans Distinguished Fellowship Award
B.A. Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., Canada 2010. Graduated with Distinction with a second major in History
TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
HAZWOPER 40-Hr Certification - OSHA, 2021
Unlearning Racism in the Geosciences, NSF and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2021
QGIS Mapping and Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping, Wetland Institute 2020
Quantitative Methods for Lab & Field Soil Analysis (Summer Soil Institute- Colorado State University), 2019
Soil, Fungi and Remediation Intensive (Social Ecologies), 2017
Freshwater Aquatic Analysis, Conservation and Restoration- WetlandKeepers Intensive (BC Wildlife Federation, 2017) and LakeKeepers Intensive (BC Lakekeepers, 2015)
Myco-Remediation Design Certificate (Fungi for the People), 2014
Youth Skills BC Entrepreneurship Program (Youth Mean Business), 2014
Permaculture Design (Bullocks Brothers Permaculture Homestead), 2010
Master Composter (Victoria Compost Education Centre), 2006
Facilitation and Community Dialogue- Level 1 (Theatre for Living), 2008
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Publications
Two food waste by-products selectively stimulate beneficial resident citrus host-associated microbes in a zero-runoff indoor plant production system. Deborah Pagliaccia, Sohrab Bodaghi, Xingyu Chen, Danielle Stevenson, Elizabeth Deyett, Agustina De Francesco, James Borneman, Paul Ruegger, Beth Peacock, Norman Ellstrand, Philippe Rolshausen, Radu Popa, Samantha Ying and Georgios Vidalakis. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2020
Mycorrhizal Ecology. Mike Allen (I did the figures and references). Cambridge Press, 2022.
Metal Concentration, Bioavailability and Human Health Risk in Food Garden Soils in Greater Victoria, Canada: a community-university research partnership. Danielle Stevenson, Steeve Deschenes, Matt Dodd. In preparation 2022
Mechanisms of Fungal-Metal Interactions. Danielle Stevenson, Samantha Ying. In preparation 2022
Fungal and Plant Diversity on Brownfields in a Semi-Arid Area and Correspondence to Soil Properties and Environmental Variables. Danielle Stevenson, Samantha Ying et al. In preparation 2022
Conferences and presentations.
Soil Science Society of America. Soil Chemistry division poster competition winner. 2019.
“Soil Remediation” and “Remediating Soil with Fungi.” University of Victoria, Ecological Restoration Program, “Soil Conservation and Restoration” course, 2016.
KEY ORGANIZATIONAL INVOLVEMENT & AFFILITATIONS
Board Member and Scientific Advisor January 2017- present. CoRenewal, US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
● Guide the planning, implementation and evaluation of the organization's international programs and services including bioremediation research, education and sustainable community development.
● heavy metals analysis for Fire Biofiltration Study, 2021-2022.
Outreach Chair, Board Member August 2019-present. Association for Women in Science, Riverside Chapter
• Plan and oversee outreach events within the local community and grow outreach and networking initiatives with AWIS-UCR to the greater campus, other universities, colleges, kindergarten through 12th grade, minority groups, and more.
• Develop and implement a 5-part ‘Environmental Justice and Sustainability’ series for underserved elementary and high school students in partnership with S.T.E.M. University