Digging in the dirt and speaking in code

Weekly photo op

Arches National Park, Utah

Vertical Divider

I believe that I have the best job in the world. As a restoration scientist, I split my time between planning innovative, scientifically-founded interventions for local ecosystem improvement; digging in the dirt to make those plans reality; and having coded conversations with statistical software about the patterns we see and ways to improve. Happily, I get my much-needed fix of beautiful nature, nerdy math, and a community of amazing restoration practitioners who are constantly inspiring me with their passion and drive.

My career has taken me around the world, where I've been able to explore ecosystems ranging from the deserts of northern Australia to the bogs of northern Canada. Each new place exposes me to new ideas about restoration practice and the complicated relationship between humanity and nature.  As my career develops, I hope to continue synthesizing my experiences into restoration practices that fundamentally benefit my local community.

Latest news

Calling all data!!! We are finalizing the first round of data collection for the Global Arid Zone Project (GAZP), a meta-analysis of arid and semi-arid restoration success. 

For more information on the project aims and data requirements, you can either pop to the project page on this site, or see the GAZP website itself.  We've been gathering existing monitoring data since January, and the plan is to wrap up this first push at the end of the year. It will take a few months into 2019 to process everything, but we should start analyzing and writing by spring.

This means that if you have data, we need it soon! You can reach out to me at any time through the Contact page, or you can check the GAZP leadership team on the project website. Early exploration has shown intriguing patterns, so help us build our database!

From mitigation to restoration
​(click a photo for more information)

Mitigation  in Texas:
Intersections in development, regulation, and ecology

Rehabilitation in the red desert:
Success and struggles in Australian minesite closure

Holding back the forest:
Losing fire in the landscape and its repercussions for Australian heath

Pulling for conservation:
Invasive species control in the Garry oak savannas of British Columbia

From one to many:
Restoring prairie diversity in a Colorado monoculture

Learning as a community:
Synthesizing global data on seed success in restoration