To serve trees for basic needs in ecological mutualism, I have sought education and experience in forestry, agronomy, ecosystem service science, tree propagation, philosophy, and communications. From that foundation, I offer agroforestry services with the hopes of spreading and reciprocating the gifts of trees.
Services I currently work on:
- Low-input ecological tree nursery
- Small-scale forest farming and tree crop production, in the long process of scaling up at the speed of root growth
- Shiitake mushrooms log-grown outdoors, using trees thinned from uneven-aged ecological forest management
- Hazelnut, willow, and elderberry multi-functional hedges
- Forest gardening in dense, diverse plantings and in orchard polycultures
- Timber harvesting in small- and medium-scale sustainable forest management
- Consultation
- Measuring current forest condition (delineating forest stands; estimating important characteristics about forest stand age, density, diversity, and health; identifying current pest & disease risks).
- Quantifying tree benefits using i-Tree Tools and other ecosystem service estimation techniques.
- Preparing maps: topography; land use; potential alternative uses; potential for solar, wind, or different types of habitat or forest types.
- Writing management plans / operations & maintenance plans: working together with participating stakeholders to identify and clarify goals, to develop long-term guidance; detailing activity schedules for the healthy cultivation, harvest, and use of tree crops; identifying and satisfying government agency management plan requirements.
- Designing plantings as overhead layouts on graph paper and/or digital maps, and suggesting categorized planting lists. I am focusing on multi-functional hedgerows (as windbreaks or fences) and riparian buffers in hardiness zones 4 through 7.
- Installs in southeast PA: planning workdays, sourcing plants, organizing labor, and getting trees growing. In some cases I can work with close friends and colleagues to organize and oversee site layout, preparation, and planting in Central NY. My planting focus is on forest gardens, hedgerows, and windbreaks, though I am also familiar with broadacre silvoarable and silvopasture systems.
- Contributing to Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative, developing supply chains for tree crops in PA.
If you’d like to inquire with me about inquiring into land – whether field or forest, near or far – please reach out via the Contact page. There’s no charge or expectation of commitment from having a conversation. We can discuss where you’re at and explore if I can meaningfully help you in mutual benefit to us both and all.
Thank you for your interest, and may the force of forest succession be with you.