I am a graduate student interested in the ecology of intermittent streams and riparian zones, specifically how drought impacts and feedbacks between these ecosystems. I work in Chalone Creek, Pinnacles National Park, California, which provides a unique setting to study the effects of seasonal and supra-seasonal drought. I am exploring how riparian trees influence the hydrology of intermittent streams, affecting invertebrate persistence during the dry season. Additionally, I am studying how water availability impacts leaf litter quality and the subsequent effects on aquatic communities and leaf litter decomposition.