”The promotion of conifers and mid-tolerant hardwoods in our northern hardwood forests is one way to mitigate future invasive species.”
As foresters we have a duty to educate the public as to the benefits of good forest management. When conducting
management activities (i.e. timber harvesting) close to town, in nature parks or other areas with high visibility, it is imperative that we publicly state the reasons for our activities and the
benefits of doing so.
At Michigan Tech, my primary responsibility is instructing the FERM (FW3376). The FERM is a hands on, "applied forestry" class where the students participate in
real world management activities. Most of these activities take place on MTU lands that already have a management plan in place, but we do have some partner projects with local units of government and non-profit
agencies. The work varies by semester, primarily due to weather conditions, but generally includes: tree marking, property line boundaries, recreational development
(i.e. trail layout, sled hills, interpretive signs, etc...), timber harvest administration, GIS/GPS and more.
Specific Interests:
- White Pine Establishment
- Mid-tolerant Hardwoods
- Forest Health and Diversity
- Maple Syrup Production
- Using Technology to Assist in Forest Management
