ECC: Do you have to have a lot of physical training to prepare for this type of position? Is it easy to shoot the rope up over tree limbs to get started on a climb?

TTB: If you want to climb trees with mountain-climbing methods, you need to be pretty strong and not too much afraid of heights. However, you don't have to be a super strong Tarzan type! You need to pay attention to the person who trains you, and keep a sense of alertness, but most

girls can learn in about 30 minutes. It takes a good bit of practice to get the line over the branch, but it takes concentration and persistence more than a huge amount of strength.

ECC: Are there many women in this career field?

TTB: There aren’t too many people studying the treetops, but a lot of them are women! That’s because field ecology needs people who are strong, smart, hard-working, and good at interacting with other people, which is exactly what most women are!

ECC: Where did you go to college and what type of education did you receive that helped you obtain your field ecology job?

TTB: I went to college at Brown University in Rhode Island. I majored in biology and modern dance. After that, I got my graduate degree in forest ecology at the University of Washington. I didn't get too much help in my college and graduate school classes to help with canopy studies, because it wasn't really a field of science then - it was too young. But my biology classes helped me a lot!

ECC: What types of jobs and employers can recent college graduates find in the field ecology/ treetop forest work?

TTB: There are very few jobs in treetop ecology, but there are lots of opportunities in forest ecology. The U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, and numerous state agencies hire graduates in forest ecology for positions. Now that there are several field stations that specialize in forest canopy studies, there are more jobs in the area of canopy studies.

ECC: How do future employment opportunities appear for forest ecology work?

TTB: There will be more opportunities for work in forest ecology in the future. The growing problems of loss of biodiversity, global climate change, fragmentation of forest habitats, and declining quality of recreational space all call for more information and management concerning forest ecology. We need more field ecologists, especially women!

ECC: What advice would you give to others best prepare for and land a field ecology job like your position?

TTB: Learn all you can about all fields of science - chemistry, physics, biology. Spend time outdoors! Travel to other forests. Spend time with people who know about trees, even if they aren't in a research program or school. Even if you can't get a job (like if you are too young), get practice and experience in the field by volunteering. Learn about trees and forests from all approaches, not just scientific. Think about trees in other ways - artistic, economic, and spiritual.

ECC: Is there any other advice you would like to suggest to aspiring treetop ecologists?

TTB: GO FOR IT!!!! SEE YOU IN THE TREETOPS!

 

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