As a forester, I inventory, monitor, and assess forest resources.
Skills and talents important to my career include being able to spot trends and seeing how things fit together. Information can sometimes seem unrelated or be buried deep within many numbers.
What are the current trends in harvesting hardwood trees in the Eastern United States for wood products like furniture, cabinets, and barrels? We want to know which hardwood tree resources are available. We estimate their future supply so they can be managed sustainably.
My colleagues and I work with a wide range of tools. Our forest measurement equipment includes simple tools like measuring tapes and compasses, but also laser rangefinders and Global Positioning System (GPS) units. In the office, we use computers to process the data collected in the forest with database management software and statistical analysis programs.
After helping build a new forest inventory for Puerto Rico, we learned that the island was not losing forest as previously thought. In fact, we found that Puerto Rico was still gaining forest. Plus, those forests were new, unique combinations of native and introduced tropical tree species.
I’ve been interested in science and natural history for as long as I can remember. My love of trees and interest in forestry began as a child planting trees with my father in the yard. Growing up, my favorite pastime was exploring the forest patches around our suburban home.
