Get to know Aaron
Please describe the INR-funded or affiliated project(s) you are currently working on or have worked on in the past?
I am building a StoryMap for INR's Conservation Biology Program that covers fisher cats' dramatic range contraction by the fur trade, landscape-level changes due to overlapping ownership and natural mosaics as well as wildfires, and the insights INR has gained from being involved with fisher reintroduction and monitoring efforts across the western U.S.
I have also helped the modeling team create inputs for a model to expand the National Park Service's endangered Whitebark Pine inventory within their North Coast & Cascades Network. And additionally I have worked with staff from the Center for Lakes & Reservoirs in both field work and to report on the distribution of invasive species with GIS.
Who is your INR supervisor?
Sean Matthews
Who is your PSU advisor?
Eleanor Gaines
What are your primary responsibilities/roles of your research position?
To create, collect, transform, and distill geospatial data into appropriate formats for a variety of uses and stakeholders.
What have you learned or hope to learn from this experience? Have you gained any new skills?
I have learned that technical transfer is key to ensure those who come after me can easily pick up where I left off when my time at INR comes to a close. I have also learned the importance of effective communication with the public about what we do, and with stakeholders for project updates.
What aspects of your project have you enjoyed the most?
I very much enjoy the chance to allow data to enrich the narrative put forth in the StoryMap. Field work has also given me the chance to explore pockets of Oregon I might not have otherwise.
What are your academic and/or career aspirations after graduation?
I would like to work in assessment of private lands using geospatial data, to identify candidate areas for conservation easements based on vegetative patterns already present. This would help to reduce the workload in natural area restoration, as well as building more complete urban forest inventories.
What's your favorite way to use or interact with the natural world?
I enjoy photography and writing of natural things. I have also spent countless hours exploring geospatial data about rivers, species distributions, and terrain. But data is no substitute for getting out there and taking in the sights and smells, and to delight in the presence of both the big and the small forms of life the world has to offer.