Jade Mokry

Hometown:

Plummer, ID US
(Benewah County)

School:

University of Idaho
Undergraduate student
Ecosystem Sciences and Ecology, Aquatic Emphasis

Funded by EPSCoR Award:

ICREWS | OIA-2242769

Research Location(s):

Hangman Creek Watershed, Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation, Idaho 2026

COUNTIES:  Benewah, Latah, Kootenai

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT(S):  District 3, District 5

Research Statement:

I want to be a good citizen to my Tribal, local, and global community by contributing to the stewardship and restoration of culturally and ecologically significant landscapes. I hope to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge with my growing Western scientific education to support watershed restoration and Indigenous-led resource management. My research focuses on the environmental history of the Coeur d'Alene Lake watershed and Hangman Creek, examining how the fur trade and the widespread removal of beavers transformed ecosystem processes and Tribal relationships with the land. Through archival research, historical analysis, and collaboration with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, I seek to provide historical context that informs restoration planning, ecological resilience, and the revitalization of Indigenous stewardship practices.

Research Impact:

The Hangman Creek Watershed study provides critical historical context to support the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's ongoing stewardship, restoration, and cultural goals. By documenting how and when the fur trade altered the landscape, we can begin to reconnect land management with Indigenous knowledge and values. Ecologically, improving our understanding of how loss of beaver contributed to changes in hydrology, biodiversity, and ecological function. For Idaho, this research offers a look into the long-term impacts of settler colonialism and frames methods for restoration work in ecosystems where beaver loss and landscape change have similarly affected ecosystem health, water quality, habitat resilience, and cultural resource availability within Idaho.