Weekly photo op
Little swallow in her home at Chatfield Farms.
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Digging in dirt and speaking codeI 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
The future in restoration techI just had an amazing couple of days in Provo, Utah with BYU prof Dr. Matt Madsen. His lab focuses on developing, testing, and perfecting technologies that enhance seed success in restoration. Seed-based restoration is surprisingly hard! First, seeds are weird shapes and sizes, often with fluffy bits hanging out random spots. That makes them really hard to put in a single machine for spreading across the site. Once they are on a site, they need the perfect little microclimate for germination. They also need to survive mice and birds that are grazing on seeds, and fungus and pathogens that attack seeds. On top of all that, some seeds are just plain dormant and refuse to germinate even in the right conditions.
Dr. Madsen showed us flash flaming, a technology developed at Kings Park in Australia that strips the fluff off and makes seeds easier to spread. He also showed us seed coating methods. These can be used to not only make seeds more uniform shapes and sizes, but add things like fungicide, hormones to encourage germination, or even chili pepper to drive away the mice! Here in Colorado, we're hoping to start testing these strategies in our own restoration. |
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From mitigation to restoration
(click a photo for more information)
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Mitigation in Texas:
Intersections in development, regulation, and ecology 
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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 
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Pulling for conservation:
Invasive species control in the Garry oak savannas of British Columbia 
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From one to many:
Restoring prairie diversity in a Colorado monoculture 
Learning as a community:
Synthesizing global data on seed success in restoration 
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