Forest Ecology Small Grants Program (Wildlands Research and Ecology Network - WREN)

Forest Ecology Small Grants Program (Wildlands Research and Ecology Network - WREN) is sponsored by Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Wildlands Research and Ecology Network - Northeast Wilderness Trust Wildlands Research and Ecology Network (WREN) The application period for the 2026 Wildlands Research and Ecology Network (WREN) forest ecology small grants program has closed. Thank you to all who applied! Learn more about the five selected projects in WREN’s 2026 cohort.

Application Details - Currently Closed What is Wildlands Research and Ecology Network (WREN)? At Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT) we believe that forever-wild forests are essential for the health of our planet and the future of the Northeast. They are the irreplaceable wellspring of biodiversity and climate resilience.

Today, an extraordinary opportunity exists to strengthen how conservation is practiced across the region. For decades, conservation has benefited from strong investment in resource management, supported by robust scientific research and professional capacity. At the same time, the complementary science of wildlands ecology—the study of forests allowed to function with minimal human management—is poised for significant growth.

The landscape of research funding has shifted dramatically over the last year. The opportunity for new funding sources to shape the future of forest ecology research is immense. WREN is designed to meet this moment.

Through WREN, strategic investment in wildlands ecology will deepen our collective understanding of biodiversity and climate resilience, advancing them as core, science-based conservation priorities while equipping conservation organizations, municipalities, and private landowners with the tools and knowledge needed for enduring stewardship. How does it work?

WREN is launching the Forest Ecology Small Grants Program: a pilot-scale investment in both research and the emerging network of communicators and scientists who will ultimately form the core of WREN. We want to support work that will produce high-value ecological findings and foster the first cohort of WREN-affiliated researchers. For its pilot phase WREN is awarding up to five applicants $10,000 each.

The Small Grants Program is focused within the NEWT service area, New England and New York, and projects may span one field season and must produce both a technical research output (e.g., a data summary or short report) and a narrative or story-driven piece that communicates the importance of the research and the forest ecosystem it studies.

These paired deliverables directly support WREN’s dual purposes: advancing scientific understanding and building a strong, articulate community capable of voicing the ecological and cultural value of wilderness.

We understand that many questions relating to wildlands will take longer than one field season to answer, and so we welcome applicants who seek to fund part of a longer project, in those cases applicants must be willing to complete a report at the end of the grant period with the data collected, and details about how it fits into the larger project, the communications deliverable, and agree to share the results of the longer project with NEWT at the time that it is completed.

Ultimately, WREN will evolve into an endowment dedicated to sustaining researcher and ecologist positions within organizations advancing critical wildlands science. This long-term vision reflects our commitment to ensuring that rigorous ecological inquiry remains embedded in conservation practice.

Building such an enduring funding structure will take time and care, and we are excited to launch this first phase as a meaningful and strategic step toward that future. Program Goal – WREN supports forest ecology research focused on unmanaged, rewilding, or recovering forest systems, emphasizing non-intervention, ethical engagement with wildlands, and clear communication.

Funding Categories – Projects should feature research in one or more of the following categories: Old-growth forest structure and function Carbon storage and sequestration dynamics in unmanaged or rewilding forests Long-term forest recovery trajectories Biodiversity responses to wilderness protection (plants, wildlife, fungi, invertebrates, etc.) Natural disturbance regimes and their ecological roles Forest resilience under climate change in unmanaged systems Watershed and hydrological functions of wildlands Wildlands and Wildlife Connectivity, particularly carnivores Submission will be reviewed by a review panel composed of the Vice President of Conservation Programs and the Wildlands Ecology Director, two members of NEWT’s Ecology Committee of the Board, and up to two rotating seats for external forest ecology researchers.

The Review Panel will give preference to projects that most substantially accomplish one or more of these objectives: Relevance to mission: Alignment with wilderness conservation and forest ecology priorities Scientific merit: Sound methodology and meaningful research contributions Feasibility: Clear timeline and realistic budget Innovation: Contribution of new approaches, methods, or perspectives Communications potential: Ability to generate compelling storytelling content Long-term value: Contribution to future wildlands conservation and stewardship efforts Eligibility & Application Process University-affiliated researchers, graduate students, independent scientists, community scientists, state agencies and collaborative teams are encouraged to apply.

Projects must focus on forest ecosystems within the Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI, NY). Project budgets must not exceed the 13% indirect cost- Facilities and Administration (F&A) cap. How to Apply Applications MUST be submitted using the provided templates to wren@newildernesstrust.

org adhering to the submittal schedule. Applications received outside of a funding cycle or that don’t follow the instructions will be discarded. Detailed guidelines for completing application materials are provided in the section below.

Applicants must submit: A complete application using this template. See Required Materials section below for detailed guidelines on completing the application. Budget using this budget template.

See Required Materials section below for detailed guidelines on completing the budget. Qualifications for PI and collaborators. Proposals due: April 22, 2026 Awards announced: June 8, 2026 Completion deadline: December 2026 (exceptions considered for longer-term work) Submission: wren@newildernesstrust.

org A complete application packet must include a completed proposal, budget, and qualifications for the PI and all collaborators.

For more details on how to complete the application materials, please review the descriptions below: Part 1: Proposal (4 pages max) Project information and screening questions (please try to stay within the requested character limits): Project Location (state(s), specific site(s) if known; indicate if work occurs on NEWT-protected land): Be as specific as possible – if you are planning field work, where will that work occur?

If you are doing remote/desktop work, what areas will be covered by the analysis? What funding category does your project fall under?

(select from the list below) Old-growth forest structure and function Carbon storage and sequestration dynamics in unmanaged or rewilding forests Long-term forest recovery trajectories Biodiversity responses to wilderness protection (plants, wildlife, fungi, invertebrates, etc.) Natural disturbance regimes and their ecological roles Forest resilience under climate change in unmanaged systems Watershed and hydrological functions of wildlands Wildlands and wildlife connectivity, particularly carnivores What is the project structure?

(500 characters) Is this a stand-alone effort? Is it part of a longer-term research project? Is the research completed, and you are seeking funding to publish or present it?

Project summary (for a general audience, 1-2 paragraphs): Write for an informed but non-technical reader. If funded, this summary may be used for public-facing communications. Background and Rationale (500 characters) Briefly describe the ecological context and existing knowledge relevant to this project.

Projects may be observational, monitoring-based, baseline, or exploratory. Research Question(s) or Objectives (300 characters) Clearly state the primary research question(s) or objectives.

Methods and approach (1500 characters) Describe the methods and approach you will use, including sampling design/frequency, data sources, tools, or analyses Please format in a bulleted list, rather than narrative, whenever possible If applicable, describe any potential ecological impacts of the project, and how you plan to mitigate them.

Expected Project Timeline (500 characters) Brief, bulleted list of expected milestones and dates to project completion, as applicable to the funding application. If applying for part of a longer-term project, include major milestones and dates for the overall project as well. Communication (500 characters) Describe how you will communicate the work beyond technical outputs.

Examples include published essays, field narratives, public talks, or presentations. If you don’t have any communication plans, and would like to collaborate with NEWT communications staff to create one, state that clearly.

Please provide a CV, resume, or biosketch for PI and all collaborators Please limit qualification materials to 1-2 pages per collaborator Part 3: Budget using provided template Complete the budget in the template provided, please note that the first tab is the template for you to fill in, and the second tab is a completed (fictional) example to demonstrate how to use the template.

Please note if this funding will serve as match for other sources. If other areas of the budget are not yet secured, explain your confidence in other funding sources, and if this project is likely to continue if the other, unsecured funding doesn’t come through. Project budgets must not exceed the 13% indirect cost (F&A) cap.

For submission please combine the proposal (part 1) and qualifications (part 2) into a single PDF, the budget (part 3) may be included in the PDF, or attached separately as an excel spreadsheet.

How Applications are Selected A 5-6-member committee will select projects based on our project rubric , scoring the projects on criteria such as: Alignment with WREN Program Goal and Funding Categories Scientific Merit/Ecological Insight Demonstration of Need/Novel Contributions to Wildlands Ecology Consideration of Ecological Impact NEWT Small Grant Program: Review Protocol The goal of this protocol is to ensure a fair, transparent, and rigorous selection process that aligns with the mission of the Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT).

This document serves as the official guide for the Review Committee, covering the transition from individual assessment to final funding decisions. The Review Committee Structure To ensure technical expertise and organizational alignment, the committee is composed of six members: NEWT Staff (2): Wildlands Ecology Director and Vice President of Conservation Programs. NEWT Board (2): Rotating members of the NEWT Board Ecology Committee.

External Researchers (1-2): Independent forest ecology researchers (assigned for the current round). The Multi-Step Review Process Step 1: Administrative Screening (NEWT Staff) Before the committee receives any applications, NEWT staff will perform a pass/fail check based on the following: Completeness: All required narrative and budget templates are present and formatted correctly.

Eligibility: The project meets geographic requirements and aligns with forest ecology/wilderness conservation. Project budget does not exceed the 13% indirect cost (F&A) cap. Submission Format: The application was received as a single PDF and budget spreadsheet via the designated email address by the deadline.

Step 2: Technical Review (Individual Scoring) Each committee member will receive a digital folder of all “Compliant Applications. ” Members are required to score each application independently using the 1–5 Scoring Rubric provided in Section 4. Step 3: Selection and Ranking Meeting The Review Committee will meet to discuss individual scores and identify top-tier proposals.

Ranking: Staff will consolidate scores into a master list prior to the meeting. Consensus: The committee will deliberate on the projects that “rise to the top” to reach a consensus on awardees. Tie-Breaking: In the event of a tie or lack of consensus, final funding decisions will be made by NEWT President and CEO.

Step 4: Notification and Awarding Award Letters: Successful applicants receive an award notification including a request for a W-9 and a signed Grant Agreement . Disbursement: 70% of funds are disbursed once all legal and fiscal documentation is returned, and the remaining 30% will be paid upon completion of final deliverables.

Evaluation Rubric & Scoring Criteria Each application is scored on a scale of 1 (Low) to 5 (High) across six categories. Download the Rubric to better understand how projects will be scored. NEWT recognizes that funding in this field is limited.

A cash match is not required. However, applicants who demonstrate “In-Kind” support (donated time, equipment, or partnerships) will be recognized in the “Feasibility” score. Conflict of Interest Policy All reviewers (staff, board, and external) must disclose any professional or personal affiliation with an applicant organization.

If a conflict exists: The reviewer will recuse themselves from scoring that specific application. The reviewer will leave the room (or digital meeting) during the final deliberation of that specific application. Shelby Perry, NEWT Wildlands Ecology Director Shelby@newildernesstrust.

org | 802-224-1000 x107 Wild Sarsaparilla by Shelby Perry, Winter Wren by Brendan Wiltse. Jack is a hiker, backcountry skier, and gravel biker who is happiest on New England’s trails and back roads, and who believes the region’s remaining wild places are worth protecting permanently.

He is a CPA who leads the accounting organization at a software and data company in Vermont, and over his career he has built and scaled finance teams through periods of rapid growth, strengthening internal controls, reporting, and day-to-day financial operations along the way.

Jack brings that experience to the Trust as a partner to the staff who steward its lands and as a resource to the board on the financial questions behind every conservation decision. He lives in Waterbury, Vermont with his wife and children. 11,200 forever-wild acres protected in Maine!

Click to see highlights from NEWT’s new Magalloway Wilderness Preserve. Brian’s passion for wildlife began as a child, wading in ponds and flipping over rocks in search of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates to identify and research. His curiosity only grew as he earned a BS in Biology from Keene State College and is currently a graduate student pursuing a MS in Wildlife Ecology and Management from Unity Environmental University.

After college, Brian worked as a Quality/Sterility Assurance Microbiologist, but found himself missing that connection with nature. Brian worked for Northeast Wilderness Trust in 2023 as a Wildlands Ecology Intern, which rekindled his desire to work in wilderness conservation.

For fun Brian enjoys long distance backpacking (thru hiking the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails), ski patrolling, foraging, mycology, fishing and hunting. Annie’s connection to the outdoors began as a baby being toted up and down mountains in the Adirondacks. Since then, she has built a life grounded by the curiosities and adventures of the natural world.

Annie holds a B. S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from the University of Vermont, and a breadth of experience in ecological monitoring, outreach, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and Mexican wolf recovery.

After working across many states and natural communities, Annie is thrilled to be back in her old stomping grounds of the northeast and dedicating her efforts towards wilderness conservation. In her free time, Annie can be found wandering the woods, foraging, baking bread and making jewelry from things she finds in the wild.

Ann Wilson is the Engagement and Events Coordinator for Northeast Wilderness Trust, supporting the mission to conserve forever-wild landscapes across the Northeastern United States through event coordination, community engagement, and stewardship initiatives.

She brings a diverse background that includes experience as a legal assistant in business law, a Montessori educator, and has worked within the nonprofit sector, with a focus on stewardship, annual giving campaigns, fundraising, and community outreach programs. Wilson is passionate about creating meaningful experiences that foster connection and strengthen nonprofit communities.

In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, gardening, cooking, and spending time with her family and her dog, Campbell. David Foster is Director Emeritus of the Harvard Forest, President Emeritus of the Highstead Foundation, and a founding member of Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands and Communities. His research focuses on interpreting and conserving landscapes through an understanding of the linked histories and people and nature.

Relevant recent publications include A Meeting of Land and Sea. The Nature and Future of Martha’s Vineyard and Wildlands in New England. Past, Present and Future.

David lives on Martha’s Vineyard with his wife Marianne. Tucker is director of language research at AdaCore. Tucker’s specialty is programming language design, focused on designing and implementing languages for long-lived applications where safety, security, and reliability are critical.

Tucker has been the lead designer of the Ada programming language for the past thirty-five years and has more recently designed a new parallel programming language, ParaSail, to simplify the programming of highly parallel computers. Tucker is passionate about the environment, both the natural one we must preserve, and the hopefully humane one we create for ourselves and our communities.

Tucker is a skier and an active masters track athlete, being part of a world-record-setting men’s 65+ 4x400m relay team. Tucker resides in Lexington, MA, and in the summers, on Martha’s Vineyard, with his wife Phyllis Yale. They have two grown daughters, and three growing grandsons.

Joan has worked in the land trust world for the last fifteen years, most recently as Director of Land Conservation at Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust in Damariscotta, Maine, and prior to that at Medomak Valley Land Trust in Waldoboro, Maine. She volunteered for land trusts and conservation organizations for many years before that.

With degrees from Colby College and Boston University, Joan worked in the high tech world for a number of years before deciding to do something more meaningful. Returning to Maine after a decade in Boulder, Colorado, Joan switched careers and fully immersed herself in the land trust world, taking on roles in both stewardship and land conservation. Of course, in a small land trust, She did a little bit of everything!

Joan is also certified as a Maine Master Naturalist, and loves leading hikes to introduce people to the natural world. Her happy place is on a mountaintop, or along a mountain stream, surrounded by wildflowers. Joan also loves to travel, hike, cross-county ski and snowshoe, and foster horses and dogs.

Tim grew up with unfettered access to nature on the edge of a mill town that was famous for snuff manufacturing. The house he called home was built in the 1600s and full of hand-worn hemlock and oak from the surrounding forest. King pine floorboards of exceptional width and a bat-filled barn swim in his memory growing up along the banks of the Parker River.

Tim was a C student, only and until he discovered you could spend your time studying geomorphology, atmospheric science and ecology. From that time Tim has pursued a life where protecting and restoring nature was usually somewhere close by. Today he loves the sound of hermit thrushes and the smell of linden trees.

Mark Pener is Director of Project Scheduling at Skanska USA Building in Boston, where he helps plan complex construction projects across New England. He has combined a career in the built environment with a lifelong passion for the natural world that began at Pond Mountain Trust, a conservation area his family has managed for more than 50 years in Kent, Connecticut.

There, he developed an enduring appreciation for the land through trail work, stonewall repair, and countless days exploring the woods. He serves on the Board of Pond Mountain Trust and lives with his family in Brookline, Massachusetts. Together they find deep meaning in time spent outdoors, from hiking remote peaks to quietly observing the rhythms of nature across the Northeast.

Alix has worked in collaborative land conservation, communications and related fields for more than thirty years. However, she took a somewhat circuitous route in getting there – learning to control avalanches in Utah, working on a ranch in Wyoming and at a salmon cannery in Alaska during the 1970s.

In the early 1980s, she worked in public relations, political organizing, and as a freelance photojournalist – acquiring skills which would come in handy down the road. She found her niche at the Natural Lands Trust, a regional organization headquartered near Philadelphia, in the late 1980s. In the 1990s she was founding executive director of Portland Trails, the urban, trails-oriented land trust in Portland, Maine.

At the same time, she chaired the Mountain Division Alliance, which promoted the vision for a 50-mile rail-with-trail, now in the works. Her first book, Groundswell: Stories of Saving Places, Finding Community, was published in 2005 by the Trust for Public Land. Co-sponsors included the National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program, The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy.

She lives on a farm in Pownal, Maine, and is a board member of Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the Forest Society of Maine, and an advisory board member of QLF/Atlantic Center for the Environment, among others. She has served as staff, board member, volunteer and consultant for nonprofits of all sizes, and on numerous international exchanges.

She co-created the Irish ~ US Land Use & Leadership Network, and serves as project director for the Biddeford RiverWalk Coalition in southern Maine. Alix is currently raising funds and support for a pioneering book of community stories from the Middle East, where she has done extensive travel and interviewing in recent years.

During this time she has learned that passion and a touch of madness are prerequisites for launching new endeavors. Christopher (Kim) Elliman is the co-founder of Accelerate Wild America, a capital fund to accelerate the conservation of land and protect the nation’s biodiversity. Mr. Elliman retired as CEO of the Open Space Institute, a nationally recognized land conservation organization, in 2024.

During his 32 years at the helm, OSI conserved more than 2. 5 million acres in the eastern United States and created or enhanced over 600 parks and protected lands.. Mr. Elliman’s financial acumen and experience in complex land transactions was key to OSI’s success.

Prior to joining OSI, he worked for investment management companies and diversified holding companies for 25 years. Specializing in retail food and land management companies, Elliman served as Chairman of Piggly Wiggly Southern and a founding Director of Fresh Fields Markets (later Whole Foods Markets).

He was President of Grey Siefert & Co, of Overhills Group, General Partner of Elmrock Partners, and Director of Barrett Associates, all investment companies. He has also served on numerous non-profit and foundation boards, chairing The Geraldine R.

Dodge Foundation; Overhills Foundation; Wild Wings Foundation; Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust; The Wilderness Society; Grow NYC; and as Vice Chair of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Environmental Defense Fund; Black Rock Forest Preserve; Storm King Art Center; among others, and on numerous advisory boards. Mr. Elliman received his B. A.

from Yale University and now serves on the Leadership Council Steering Committee of its School of the Environment. Kasey DeLuke is the Executive Director of the Gallogly Family Foundation. She leads the Foundation’s work to support land conservation and cancer research.

Kasey also serves as a Trustee for The Nature Conservancy in New York. She earned a J. D.

from American University Washington College of Law and a B. A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

She lives in Western New York with her husband and two sons. A former top-ranked Wall Street analyst, Henry co-founded Business Insider in 2007, where he served as Editor in Chief until 2017 and CEO until 2023.. Henry is often a guest on CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and other networks.

He has contributed to The Atlantic, Slate, The New York Times, Fortune, New York, the Financial Times, and other publications (including, of course, Business Insider!) He has written extensively about technology and investing and is the author of “ The Wall Street Self-Defense Manual: A Consumer’s Guide to Investing . ” Henry is currently the Founder and CEO of Regenerator.

Melody Badgett brings strong commitment and years of leadership at the intersection of the environment and business, as well as decades exploring Nature, snow, backcountry and mountains all over the world—pursuing travel, and adventure on every continent and across cultures. As Managing Director of 1% for the Planet, working alongside Patagonia, a global alliance was started and built.

From its beginnings in a small one-room office with a staff of three, Yvon’s vision grew to 50+ countries, thousands of companies and environmental nonprofits, numerous ambassadors and partners, and a globally known brand, providing recurring revenue for the planet. Now over $500M in cumulative giving is one of the biggest funders of environmental work out there.

Melody went on to co-launch the International Affairs arm of a global foundation in SE Asia, focused on education for leaders in the environment and peace. Most recently, she was an honorary co-founder of an early-stage software company for executives—making the complex simple.

Prior work includes a dozen years in management consulting—Deloitte Consulting, IBM, an early employee in Mainspring, an Internet strategy firm IBM bought, and a founding researcher in IBM’s Institute for Business Value think tank. Melody has an undergraduate degree and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She lives in the Mad River Valley VT.

She has held positions on numerous advisory boards, currently sits on two others focused on environment and global travel, bikes to fight cancer, skis as often as possible, volunteer teaches Science & Nature to (and learns a lot from) kindergarten and first graders.

Katie Bacon is a writer and editor; she also supports students applying to college as a counselor and writing specialist for Educational Advocates, a firm based in Brookline, Mass. Katie’s deep connection with the outdoors began on the dramatic, beautiful nature trails of Block Island, Rhode Island, a place that has worked hard to preserve land amid encroaching development.

Like her son, Jamie, she spent several summers in the Adirondacks, hiking in and appreciating the vast swath of wilderness there. It took her a little longer than Jamie to become a 46er, but she finished in the spring of 2025, accompanied by Mark and their daughter, Elizabeth. Because of Jamie’s love of the wilderness, Katie and her family asked people to donate to Northeast Wilderness Trust in his memory.

That connection led to a day spent at Bear Pond Forest, a 1056-acre parcel in the Adirondacks recently preserved by NEWT, where Katie could see the importance of protecting and rewilding this beautiful and diverse piece of land, in the middle of the Five Ponds Wilderness. A childhood of discovery in Vermont’s forests inspired both artistic and scientific pursuits for Anna and her siblings.

As the Director of Development for Northeast Wilderness Trust, Anna brings a passion for connecting with people and building frameworks of support to sustain wilderness conservation in the region. With a background in music education and nonprofit development, she has been an integral member of the fundraising teams at Shelburne Farms and Palm Beach Opera.

Anna holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Master of Arts in Art and Culture Management from the University of Denver. Home in Vermont with her two dogs, Dublin and Echo, she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, cycling, paddleboarding, and reading. Michael is a proud native Vermonter who’s maternal side of the family dates back many generations.

Michael graduated from Champlain College with a BA in accounting and has worked in nonprofit accounting for over thirty years. He has worked for a community action agency, a New England healthcare organization, and an international nonprofit before coming to Northeast Wilderness Trust as the Finance Manager.

He likes to trail run, read, cook, and strum on his ukulele as well as taking urban and rural hikes with his dog Ethel who you will find by his side in his office at NEWT most every day. Michael was very happy to find an organization that holds the same values as he does concerning rewilding by allowing nature to evolve and adapt naturally. Laura taught in independent schools for 41 years.

First at Milton Academy, in Milton, MA, and then at St. Mark’s School, in Southborough, MA. At St.

Mark’s School she was the founding Director of Global Citizenship. Recently retired, Laura and her husband, John, now reside in Weybridge, VT. Laura has been involved in land conservation and environmental education in the Western Mountains of Maine for several decades and serves on the Board of Directors of the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust and also on the Board of Directors of The Chewonki Foundation.

She cares deeply about land conservation as a way to build climate change resilience and as a way to educate the next generation about the importance of sustainable forest management and the natural world. Dave joined the Wilderness Trust in 2025 with over 15 years of experience as a Stewardship Director, first with the York Land Trust in Maine, and then with Lakes Region Conservation Trust in New Hampshire for the past 12+ years.

Before that, Dave was a Biologist with Maine Audubon and an educator and guide with the Appalachian Mountain Club, Adirondack Mountain Club, the University of New England, and the Vermont State Parks. Dave holds a B. S.

in Environmental Science from the University of Vermont and a Master’s of Science in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England. In his spare time, he enjoys studying natural communities and wildlife habitats while hiking, paddling, fishing, and skiing. Jason is an ecologist and naturalist with a wide range of interests and expertise.

Before arriving at NEWT, he taught courses in the Field Naturalist program at the University of Vermont and led projects studying pollination ecology at the Gund Institute for Environment. He holds an M. S.

in Plant Biology from UVM’s Field Naturalist program and a B. S. in Geology and Environmental Studies from SUNY Buffalo.

Jason’s love for the north woods stems from his experiences as a guide and dog sled musher in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and as a naturalist in the Appalachian Mountain Club’s high mountain huts. He now lives on an off-grid homestead adjacent to the Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve.

In his spare time he enjoys exploring the wilds of Woodbury, chasing bumblebees, baking bread, and spending as much time as possible running, skiing, and hiking above treeline with his border collie, Raven. George grew up in rural central Pennsylvania where he developed an early interest in nature and the impacts humans have on it. He attended Penn State University earning a B.

S. degree in Environmental Resource Management and an M. S.

degree in Agronomy centered on the restoration of severely disturbed lands. His conservation career started in 1977 as a Soil Conservationist at the USDA Soil Conservation Service (SCS) at various locations in Pennsylvania. He moved to Maine in 1982 to continue working with the SCS as the District Conservationist for the for Piscataquis County and later for Somerset County.

After leaving the SCS, he worked as a self-employed soil scientist in Maine doing soil & environmental consulting. The work centered on the sustainable use and management of soil, land and water with an emphasis on soil health, land conservation and