Margaret Donnan is a resident of Alleghany County, VA, where she enjoys exploring the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains through activities such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. A nature enthusiast from a young age, Margaret loves channeling this enthusiasm into both her academic and career pursuits.

In 2022, Margaret received a BS in biology from William & Mary. During her time in college, she worked as an honors fellow and research assistant in a plant ecology lab. In these roles, she conducted research centered around plant-insect relationships as well as created several guides to help William & Mary Greenhouse visitors learn more about the greenhouse plant collection. Creating these plant guides prompted Margaret to pursue more opportunities centered around science communication, education, and community engagement. Serving in capacities as camp counselor and environmental educator, Margaret has worked with youth across Appalachia to foster vital connections between the environment and today’s students.

Margaret joins the Future Generations team as the Youth Education Associate for the Appalachian Program.

Plant Ecology Research Lab, Dr. Harmony Dalgleish, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Honors Fellow

• Developed and carried out an experiment investigating the interactive effects of plant size and longhorend
  milkweed beetle feeding on the growth and resprout potential of common milkweed
• Created several guides to help William & Mary Greenhouse visitors learn more about the greenhouse
  plant collection

Research Assistant

• Ran two independent summer research projects exploring the relationship between the longhorned milkweed
  beetle and common milkweed in the summers of 2019 and 2020