BACKGROUND

As a child I lived on a farm near Hinckley Illinois. Down the hill was a stream where I spent much of my childhood playing and exploring. I would catch fish, frogs, crayfish, turtles, insects and many other creatures. Often, I would bring them back to my "pool", a large round horse trough which acted as a sort of sheet metal aquarium/terrarium. There I spent countless hours observing and learning about these creatures. My family went on many camping trips; common destinations included Wisconsin and Colorado. As a Boy Scout I had an opportunity to go camping monthly. I grew very fond of nature and developed an emotional and spiritual bond with the living world.

When I was in middle school, we moved to a larger town, Batavia, which was on the Fox River. I sought out places where the river was still wild to fish and explore. Over time I gained a greater interest in fish and other aquatic creatures.

My first introduction to natural areas management was in high school when I was a member of the Teens Respecting Earth's Environment (TREE) Club. I was president of TREE Club my Senior year and thus responsible for seeking out activities for the group. I signed us up for workdays at Campton Hills Park in nearby St. Charles, not knowing what exactly we would be doing. They were brush cutting workdays, removing buckthorn and other invasive species.

Around that time I also began working at Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora. There I was exposed to Garlic Mustard and the great damage it could wreak if unchecked. The nature center did not have the resources available to manage the wood lot properly, so every year we fought a losing battle, burning and pulling garlic mustard in the few hours we could spare between naturalist programs and school tours.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Upon arriving at college at the University of Illinois, I became involved in a student group called Red Bison, which works on preserving prairies. Not knowing anything about prairies, I signed up to learn more. The first Red Bison workday of the year was a prairie tour which changed my life. In particular, I remember seeing prairie dock for the first time. Its basal leaf was the size of a platter, thick and rough. Its flowering stalk was as thick as the business end of a pool cue, and ten feet tall. I had lived in Illinois all my life, yet I had never seen anything like this plant. It was alien to me. I was instantly smitten by the prairie.

The summer following my sophomore year I was selected for a Restoration Management Internship with the Kane Co. Forest Preserve. There I learned many skills and gained a broader knowledge and respect for the full range of habitats found in Illinois. I learned techniques for controlling a variety of invasive species and perpetuating native ones. That summer I learned to identify more species of plants than I had even seen previously.

I put all that newly acquired knowledge to good use as my Junior year began as the new president of Red Bison. In that position I was basically in charge of the management of the Red Bison Prairie Corridor, a mile long, 40 foot wide railroad prairie. The organization grew under my leadership; we had more members and got more work done then ever before.

I was also vice president of Students for Environmental ConcernS (SECS). It was through my position as newsletter editor of SECS that I developed Environmental Resources. Environmental Resources became a joint newsletter for all of the campus environmental groups and an organization of its own. I also raced bicycles with the Illini Bicycle Racing Club all four of my undergraduate years and I served on the University YMCA Board of Governors my senior year.

Perhaps I was over-involved with activities during my undergraduate years, as my grades did suffer some. But I believe that you learn best by doing. I know I learned more in college than similar students with less extracurricular involvement and better grades. I do not regret my over-involvment in my college years, but I think I have learned from my mistakes. I have realized that working in the field of ecology will require focus and determination, especially in the next few years as I expand my knowledge in this infinitely complex science.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

My involvement in so many activities gave me the skills and background knowledge which allowed me land my current position as Programs Coordinator at the University YMCA. I am fortunate that my work includes advising many of the student groups I was once a member of, as well as a wide variety of other projects. My job is not exactly in my desired career field, but it has given me a much needed break from academic work.

I have been involved in work in my field through volunteering with Prairie Grove Volunteers. As Volunteer Sites Steward of Busey Woods, I develop management plans and set them into motion. Recently, we have been working on a savanna recreation project in a highly degraded fill portion of the woods. Twice a month I lead volunteer workdays which usually involve cutting honeysuckle and other invasives. I also spend time teaching two not-for-credit wildflower classes in which I attempt to impart a sense of wonderment and respect for our remaining natural areas.

Besides restoration, my other great passion in life is cycling. I greatly enjoy mountain biking which provides both a thrill and quick access to some wonderful natural areas. I also do a fair amount of road riding, and race both mountain and road bikes. In May of 2002 my wife Carol and I were married. Our honeymoon fulfilled a lifelong dream of a bike tour across America. Between work, volunteering and riding, I also find time for my other interests including photography, backpacking and canoeing.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

I am focused towards studying restoration ecology during my time as a graduate student. Within this field I have a broad range of interests. Below are several brief descriptions of the types of questions with which I am most fascinated.

I am interested in devising highly effective strategies for eliminating invasive species. In addition to physical and chemical control, what can we learn from the fields of horticulture, genetics, biochemistry and microbiology that can help us discover and exploit the weaknesses of these alien invaders? Fire ecology has been an interest of mine ever since I began to participate in, and later lead, prescribed burns. I would like to improve our understanding of how fire affected our landscape previous to settlement. What can various plant and animal adaptations and reactions to fire tell us how we can be better stewards of our remaining wild lands? How can the artificial fire regime we have established in many natural areas be conducted to best replicate the effects of the natural fire regime?

Few, if any restorations or reconstructions match the biodiversity of remnant communities. What are we doing wrong? There often is too great a focus on charismatic plants. How are less attractive and less noticeable species important to the ecology of the community? Also, animals, fungus and microscopic organism are often ignored in restorations. Is transplantation of the less mobile of these organisms helpful and practical in restoration projects?

We live in a society that seems to prefer monocultures of exotic cool season grasses to a colorful diversity of native wildflowers. In many parts of the country urban and agricultural land have replaced native ecosystems. Could we alter our human landscapes to better replicate the native environment so that wildlife could find a home and thrive? In addition to simply reestablishing habitat, could native wildlife integration help us solve problems such as waste treatment, air pollution, chemical spills, food production, pest control and agricultural run-off?

Eventually, I see myself in a career as a land manager, or restoration specialist for a governmental organization or a not-for-profit group such as The Nature Conservancy's. I may also run my own restoration consulting, or natural landscaping business. Ultimately, I desire to be working hands on in the field. I greatly enjoy a hard days work and the satisfaction of knowing that my efforts have made a positive change in the world.