Krista Kirkham
Aquatic Ecologist, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Krista Kirkham Krista Kirkham has been an Aquatic Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy in Illinois for 16 years. © Krista Kirkham
Areas of Expertise
Agricultural conservation, water quality monitoring
Publications
Contact
Email: kkirkham@tnc.orgBiography
Krista Kirkham is an Aquatic Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy in Illinois. Krista has been with TNC for 16 years and serves as the lead water quality technician for the Mackinaw River Program. Krista works closely with agricultural and university partners to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of constructed wetlands, cover crops, and other agricultural conservation practices in tile-drained subwatersheds of the Mackinaw River.
Krista received her Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2001 and her Master of Science degree from Illinois State University in 2005. Krista is a visiting researcher at Illinois State University and is actively involved in local non-profit organizations, including ParkLands Foundation and the Soil and Water Conservation Society.
Places We Protect
The Mackinaw River Watershed
The Mackinaw River watershed contains some of the most productive agricultural land in the nation. Krista is part of a team working with partners to help guide the use of conservation-oriented agricultural techniques.
Science
Small Wetlands, Big Benefit: How to Harness Nature to Filter Agriculture Runoff
Krista made significant contributions to a long-term study on an Illinois farm shows that constructed wetlands can reduce excess nutrients in agricultural runoff by nearly 50%, a huge win for drinking water quality and wildlife habitat.