About Shavonne

I am a forester. It is a title that conjures a sense of pride, love, and belonging. I see my role on the forested landscape as stewardship—entrusted care of forest land. It is a role I take seriously and pursue with dedicated passion. 

My career spans a wide geography from east to west coasts and a broad experience set including Cooperative Extension, research, consulting, and industrial corporate and field. I’m New England born and raised, transplanted west by my husband’s naval career. I graduated from Cornell University’s Natural Resources program, a learning experience enriched by four years as a Cooperative Extension intern and a semester-long study abroad in Mountain Forestry in Austria.  I gained a Master of Forestry from the University of Maine, where my MF project focused on creating a land literacy program through cooperative partnerships. I spent my early career as a consultant in Maine and Massachusetts before moving to Washington. I worked in Weyerhaeuser’s corporate office in sustainability with a focus on certification before moving to Oregon to become the forester for a 70,000-acre tree farm. After five years in that role, I returned to my consultant roots, creating SilvaSaunterra, LLC in 2018.

Personal Shorts:

• My first love was the sugar maple. Participating in my NH high school’s maple sugaring operation in the spring of freshman year awakened me to my lifelong passion and career.

• I enjoy spending time in the outdoors alone or with family and friends (canoeing, camping, hiking), especially when freshwater is involved.

•  I own exactly 0.19 acres, where I practice the principles of permaculture, managing for structure and diversity and growing native and edible plants.

• As the daughter of dedicated travelers, I’ve been to all 50 states. I love seeing new places and learning about their ecology, history, and culture.

• Once-upon-a-time timber framer, hand-hewer, and maple sugarin’ girl.

• Introvert with a natural knack for connecting with people.

• Married to Brian, a career Naval officer turned reservist and Library Director at Mount Angel Abbey.

• Fierce mama bear to the spirited and delightful Iona Maple and baby Ide Marie.

• Forever in pursuit of a life that more closely reflects the spirit of sauntering and invites others to do the same.