A research forester studies how forests respond to disturbances. I am interested in trying to predict how trees grow, which tree species grow best, and how both plants and animals respond to events such as fire, drought, timber harvesting, and people!
Love to learn
Read all the time
Focused and disciplined
Love what I do
Ask a lot of questions
Not afraid to admit when I don’t understand something
What do young oak trees need to grow into larger, healthier trees?
I use a device called a ceptometer which measures sunlight. It looks like a Star Wars lightsaber—it is about three feet long and lined with light-recording sensors. I hold the ceptometer next to the leaves of the young oak trees to see how much sunlight is hitting the leaves.
We ‘rediscovered’ a small bird called a cerulean warbler on one of our study sites. This bird had not been seen in Alabama for over 30 years! We are now studying the kind of forest this bird likes, what it eats, and other birds it hangs out with.
When I was 12, I spent the summer collecting leaves, insects, rocks—anything I could find outside. As I discovered all these things had names, I started my learning quest. I still have a desk covered with things I collect in the woods!
