I moved to Arden in July 2018 and became a member of the Forest Committee in November 2020. I am a biologist by training, but my specialty is at the molecular level, not the organismal or ecosystem level. I am still learning about the woods. I have taken advantage of many courses and other resources offered by the Delaware Cooperative Extension, Mt. Cuba Center and Penn State Extension, including online courses in Plant Identification and Forest Stewardship, webinar series on Invasive Species, Storm Water Management, Stream Repair, Assessment and Mitigation of Deer Impact on Wooded Areas, Soil Ecology, an update on Tree Pests and Diseases and most recently a series of webinars about the diseases affecting our beech trees. I completed the Tree Tenders Training offered by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and in May 2023 I became a certified pesticide application through the Delaware Department of Agriculture.
I am a biologist by training with experience in grantsmanship. As a member of the Forest Committee, I have taken responsibility for organizing our weekly volunteer sessions to remove invasive species, plant native species and maintain the trail, among other activities. My primary focus as a member of the Forest Committee has been on control and removal of invasive species. In 2022 I co-authored the grant proposal, “Deer Impact on native regeneration after invasive species removal” that was submitted to and funded by the Delaware Invasive Species Council. In 2023 I helped prepare the Civic and Forest Committee’s Community Water Quality Implementation Grant for a bio-retention garden, which was funded for $75,000. I plan to continue working on similar projects if re-elected to the Forest Committee.
DATE: 02/29/2024