In 2017 a Wildlife Services trapper discovered a pregnant female nutria near Gustine, California. Nutria are large semi-aquatic rodents native to South America. Originally brought into California for fur farming, they were eradicated by the 1970s. After the rediscovery in 2017, an interagency team and incident command system was created to begin delineating the extent of the nutria population and create a removal program. Nutria can quickly clear wetland vegetation and destabilize water conveyance infrastructure such as levees. They are highly fecund and reproduce year-round, producing up to 3 litters per year, with 1-13 young per litter. The CDFW Nutria Eradication Program uses baited camera stations to locate and remove nutria populations. Field staff from different agencies collect data in the FieldMaps Application, use different monitoring and trapping methods, and assess habitat regularly. Partnerships with private landowners and land management agencies are crucial for statewide eradication. As of September 2024, over 5,100 nutria have been removed from nine counties in California.

Carolyn graduated from Humboldt State University with a B.S. in Wildlife Management and Conservation and a minor in Geospatial Studies. She began working with The Department as a seasonal doing salmon surveys in Mendocino County and an Environmental Scientist the Timberland Conservation Program. Carolyn began working as an Environmental Scientist in the Nutria Eradication Program in 2023. She is one of five Environmental Scientists that run field crews of technicians, scientific aids, and environmental services interns at the Los Banos field office.