A forester/social scientist studies how people and communities use, manage, and think about their forests and sustainability.
Listening, respect for others, curiosity, reading, and good record-keeping are critical skills that help me be a successful scientist. For me, science is serving others by working together to come up with creative solutions that will help solve our environmental problems like climate change.
How do people think about sustainability? How do people envision the future of forests? How do cultures and past experiences influence forest management? I work with indigenous communities in the United States and Latin America, combining climate science, tribal views, and traditional ecological knowledge into forest management decisions and planning.
My job is to read, write, and talk with people. I use computers and special software to organize and analyze information. My main research is accomplished by using a digital voice recorder to record interviews with people.
Sustainable forestry in the United States began over 160 years ago on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin. Menominee people have a advanced vision of sustainable forest management. The forest provides lumber, jobs, spiritual spaces, and cultural connectivity. We can learn a lot from the Menominee and other tribes.
I have always enjoyed camping, canoeing, cross-country skiing, and just being in the woods. Forestry was something I could study that would include my interest in the forest. It also gives me a deeper understanding of how the forest works and how people and communities fit into ecology.
