forestdynamics.com

In the past few weeks, I’ve been asked to participate in numerous local educational opportunities. Now I’m the last person to advocate trading the computer for a field guide and a backpack (hell, my job lets me take my computer to the woods!), but I have to admit that I’ve enjoyed these experiences of late. The big government agency that I work for has taken a position of putting an end to childhood obesity and promoting healthy, active lifestyles by encouraging kids to get off the couch and go outside.

Earth Day

Kows, Kids, and More

The “More Kids in the Woods” challenge, leveraged funds with in-kind services from partners, seems to be a pretty good idea. It not only promotes physical activity, it fosters environmental awareness and stewardship among young people as we face critical environmental challenges, such as the effects of climate change. “More Kids in the Woods” helps kids make the connection between healthy forests, healthy communities and their own healthy lifestyles, and how bad can that be?

Yesterday, my Co-PI’s and I received a message informing us that our Joint Fire Science Proposal (“Characterizing Crown Biomass and Crown Density Profiles in Conifer Forests of the Interior Northwest”) has been selected for funding!

Boo-Ya… that put me at 3 for 7! Believe it or not… that pretty good.

So how does this relate to my previous posts you may ask? Well, the proposal has a heavy terrestrial lidar component (which the reviewers loved) and I bet I can squeeze a small study in there comparing results of terrestrial lidar-derived point clouds to those derived form structure form motion. In my opinion, an end-game type study for the merits of computer vision technology in forest science. The beginning of this project is some time off… but it’s got me excited in this endeavor once again…

This morning I received a message from the Editor-in-Chief at Forest Ecology and Management, with a favorable review for the last manuscript from my dissertation. It was submitted as part of special issue on lessons learned from experimental forest and still needs substantial revisions, but it was well received – and that’s what matters.
Oddly enough, I’m a bit saddened by this, as it signifies the (apparent) end of my dissertation work. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got more spatial ecology/silviculture projects in the works and have been on numerous grant proposals, but if this paper continues on it’s current path the previous chapter of my life will officially be over. I have nothing but fond memories of my time in Flagstaff and of the “Woolsey plots”, but I do not get back often enough (physically – I talk with collaborators regularly) and miss it.
I know know many of my cohorts and collaborators frequent here, and was wondering if you find yourslef feeling this way?

Yesterday afternoon I finished my allotted tasks and decided and spend some time at Arlington National Cemetary. I took the Metro over, spent three hours walking around and paying my respects (the placement of over 16,000 wreaths by volunteers was especially touching), and then headed back to D.C. proper. Given I was close, I decided to walk back via the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the western part of Potomac Park (i.e., Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans and WWIIMemorials). Even though my feet were killing me (6.2 miles in dress shoes!), yesterday was the most memorable day here in D.C. While in Arlington, I couldn’t help keep being reminded of its expanse, and the the number laid to rest there…

Well, the first week is down on my two-week detail back to Washington office here in D.C. I spent the weekend attending a jazz show at Cafe Nema, looking around Springfield and attending a Christmas party out in Vienna on Saturday, and visiting the National Museum of the American Indian. So far, it has been the nicest and most interesting museum that I’ve visited while here. The IndiVISIBLE exhibit was truely touching and the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe was delicious!