Rachel Jessup
Conservation Ranger
Rachel began as Conservation Ranger in Spring 2023 at Westcave Preserve. She has been an outdoor rambler and nature enthusiast since childhood where she primarily subsisted on a media diet of nature documentaries, the magic school bus, and every non-fiction animal and plant book she could get her hands on at the library. Her lifelong pursuit of nature’s knowledge guided her to double major in Forest Management and Plant biology at NC State University. She also completed her Master of Science in Forestry from NC State University in 2022 where she self-designed a thesis project on the ecology and conservation of two rare piedmont prairie plants, tall Barbara’s-buttons (Marshallia legrandii) and smooth purple coneflower (Echinacea laevigata).
Since relocating to central Texas with her partner and cat, Rachel has been enchanted by the local ecology and wonderful people she has found here. Before joining the Westcave team, she completed a term with the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps which helped her gain hands-on experience doing conservation work in central Texas with several local agency partners including City of Austin Watershed, City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, and Balcones Canyonlands Preserves. She is excited to be bringing her knowledge and skills to Westcave Preserve and loves having a job that lets her balance her passion for hands-on conservation projects, rare flora and fauna research, and environmental education.