WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Brooklyn, NY
WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO STUDY FORESTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY?
I was already planning to transfer into CFANS, but I knew I wanted to study forestry after taking dendrology with Andy David and Monica Randazzo. I was hooked on trees and tree ID and chose to declare forestry as my major in the spring!
WHAT DID YOU EXPECT COMING INTO THE PROGRAM?
I’ve always been interested in the environment but studied music at another university before transferring into FNRM. Because of this I had few expectations for what this degree could be, I just wanted to study trees!
HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN IN RELATION TO THOSE EXPECTATIONS?
Studying forestry and natural resource management has opened up so many doors for me to explore which didn’t seem achievable before I came into the department. My degree has blown my expectations completely out of the water and I am constantly excited and in awe of all the interesting things everyone from the faculty to the undergrads gets up to.
WHAT DO YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT FORESTRY?
Forestry is interesting to me because of its many direct connections to everyday life and the systems of the earth. Forestry encompasses food, recreation, water quality, construction, conservation, botany and so much more. Imagining every kind of career possible with a knowledge of forestry is overwhelming, and I find it hard to choose just one to focus on.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH A CAREER IN FORESTRY?
At the end of the day I want to make the world a better place. I chose the urban forestry track as a way to combine my passion for social justice and my newfound love of plants, and I hope to have an impact on the forests of cities in the United States which helps them to serve the common good. Something I particularly have an interest in making cities more accessible through green-space and thoughtful urban forestry.
WHAT DO YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD ABOUT FORESTRY?
I wish more people were more aware of the active management of forests. Trees aren’t stagnant, immovable objects like we often like to think. They are dynamic beings that can radically change their environments to their benefit, and when you think about it where would humanity be without them?Unfortunately a lot of our issues with invasive species have been caused by profit-driven organizations which commodify non-native or cultivated varieties that cause problems once released.
WHAT’S THE MOST FULFILLING THING ABOUT STUDYING FORESTRY?
I’d say the relationships I form with people out in the field has probably been the most rewarding part of this degree. My professors and classmates are wonderful people who do cool things and we talk about trees all the time. Who could ask for more?
WHY IS FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT FOR OUR FUTURE?
FNRM is critical to our future as we rely on trees and forests to help us resist climate change and pursue environmental justice.
The Forest Scene newsletter is published biannually in the spring and fall, featuring stories and updates from the Department of Forest Resources. Readers can download issue 28 of Forest Scene as an interactive PDF that is fully tagged and compatible with most screen readers, or read the individual stories here in a web-based format.