Interests
- Plant, nature, and landscape photography
- Gardening, peonies, roses, vegetables, shade gardens, other plants
- Hiking, backcountry camping, and wilderness canoeing
- Landscape design, graphic design, architectural design
- Large-format photography
- Food and wine; especially of Burgundy. Edible wild fungi
- Plants, insects, and natural history of the region
- Landscape ecology
About
My work responsibilities include looking after and monitoring the quality of vegetation in our natural areas, especially where there are rare and scarce species occurrences and damage from excessive deer and beaver populations. I also manage and maintain plot and other monitoring data and use these to guide site-management decisions. I also do conservation seed banking and population viability research on a number of rare plant species locally.
In my job it is important to understand and summarize information on invasive plant species and issues in the region and beyond. I also am a resource for knowledge on the distribution and abundance of wild plant species in the region. I assist the horticulturist for the Mundy Wildflower Garden with identifying and using native plants there, as well as in other natural areas.
I also help the stewardship crew identify invasive species to be removed or treated, in locating and protecting desirable natives (especially rarities), and with avoiding impacts to them. My job responsibilities also include field photography of plants and of our natural areas, leading field trips and tours, and writing copy for web and print on our natural areas.