Services
Forest Stewardship Planning and Management Activities
The practice of silviculture—where human values meet ecology—is the heart energy behind my career. I have insatiable curiosity about and deep appreciation for ecological complexity. Fourteen years of professional exploration in the forests of New England and the Pacific Northwest allow me to draw on a breadth of ecologies and silvicultural approaches.
I specialize in helping landowners express their set of values and assess their forest land, which together drive objectives and future activities. It is my privilege to assist landowners throughout the forest management cycle. I am a Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Technical Service Provider (TSP) and can help landowners connect with cost-share programs for conservation practices.
Research, Writing, Editing
Organizations hire me to engage in comprehensive, detail-oriented information gathering, summarizing, and report writing on forest business and management issues. I enjoy the privilege (and fun!) of combining my experience in forestry, love of learning, and writing/editing skills.
Education and Outreach
Forestry knowledge and thoughtful management is lifeless without the final step of sharing it with others. Outreach is a critical part of practicing sustainable forestry. It adds to transparency (counteracting fear of the unknown), positively impacts public perception and interactions, and inspires others to cherish forests. My love of forestry is paired with an enthusiasm for sharing forestry, which I’ve done in various ways since high school. Whether a standalone forest education project/event/program, or one with a component of outreach, I will bring my passion and experience to your audience.
Practical Bridging
I see all my work as an exercise in practical bridging. Our complex relationship with forests makes forestry a contentious space. I’ve practiced in different ecosystems, political climates, and organizations, and find myself standing in the radical middle. I appreciate how diverse perspectives can bring us to more thoughtful and congruous outcomes. My perspective formed in the field, the forest classroom, and the corporate office brings practicality to broad vision. I seek to partner in and contribute to projects that consider the big picture, bridge divides, and create positive, lasting outcomes.
Creative Projects - Origin Interests
Every year around late winter, thoughts of flowing sap and steamy sugarhouse nights still stir my spirit. I hope for excuses to connect with my origins. In addition to maple sugaring, I learned to restore and build timber frame barns (post-and-beam/mortise & tenon construction) in high school and worked a summer job building timber frames two years during college. A genuine New England craftsman taught me to hand-hew logs into square beams, like in days before sawmills. My first beam of red oak felled and hewed in my yard was installed in a friend’s barn. I worked with a portable sawmill to cut boards and beams from trees harvested and used in building materials on site. I’m interested in using skills gained in these experiences (my “origins”) to help landowners explore fun and practical projects or potential alternative revenue streams from their forests.
Sauntering implies openness and flexibility; if you have a need that does not fit neatly into my focus areas, let’s discuss how my breadth of experience and enthusiasm can contribute to the project you have in mind. Connecting with me connects you to my broad professional and forest management service network. If I don’t individually possess the expertise for your need, I have connections who do.