Desirae Abella

Conservation Outreach Coordinator for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Natural Resources Department

Desirae is an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and of Omaha descent. She has a BS in Plant and Environmental Science from Clemson University and a MS in Plant Sciences from The University of Arizona. Desirae is the Conservation Outreach Coordinator for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Natural Resources Department and serves as a liaison between EBCI and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) providing outreach, conservation planning, and technical assistance to the tribe and tribal members.  Desirae also manages the Sochan Gathering Program,  issuing permits to enrolled EBCI tribal members to harvest sochan for Traditional Purposes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.