Wilderness

Learn more about wilderness benefits, wilderness protection and preservation, wilderness recreation, and more with a variety of Natural Inquirer resources. Browse by topic, grade band, and resource type.

  • Bookmark
    Please login to bookmark Close

    Sharon Hood, Fire Ecologist

    FireForests & Plants
    Front cover of Dr. Sharon Hood Collectors Card
    • Ph.D., University of Montana
    • USDA Forest Service Scientist
    • Fire ecologists study how wildfire changes ecosystems.  As a fire ecologist, I study the impacts of removing fire from, or changing how fires burn in, forests which originally had fire.
  • Bookmark
    Please login to bookmark Close

    Jennifer Moore Myers, Resource Information Specialist

    Forests & PlantsScience Communication
    Front cover of Ms. Jennifer Moore Myers Collector Card
    • M.S., North Carolina State University
    • USDA Forest Service Scientist
    • A GIS analyst uses geographic data to answer questions, solve problems, and tell stories.  In my work, this often means looking for spatial patterns that show how forests respond to climate change or other stressors.
  • Bookmark
    Please login to bookmark Close

    Michael Balen – Civil, Mining, & Geological Engineer

    LandformsSoilWater
    Front Cover of Michael Balen Collector Card
    • B.S. University of Alaska, Fairbanks
    • USDA Forest Service Scientist
    • As a Forest Service engineer, I manage the built environment, including the roads, bridges, and facilities, that connect people to the national forest landscape and enable Forest Service employees to do their jobs.
  • Bookmark
    Please login to bookmark Close

    Jenna Padilla, Geologist

    Forests & PlantsLandforms
    Front cover of Jenna Padilla Collector Card
    • B.S., University of New Mexico
    • USDA Forest Service Scientist
    • A geologist for the Forest Service conducts studies and investigations on projects where minerals and geology impact the development or management of the forest resources (e.g., trees, range land, soil, water systems, wildlife). Geologists also manage material projects that are conducted on public lands and mitigate Abandoned Mine Land features.
  • Bookmark
    Please login to bookmark Close

    Frank Koch, Invasion Ecologist

    Forests & PlantsInsectsWildlife
    Front side of Frank Koch collector card. Dr. Frank Kock is standing in front of various trees outside.
    • Ph.D., NC State University
    • USDA Forest Service Scientist
    • An invasion ecologist studies the ways in which species move out of their native environments and into new ones, where they sometimes have negative impacts.