Am I In The Zone?
Meet Your Local Foresters:
Ian Briggs
Education: Arboriculture & Urban Forestry Certificate, UMass Amherst UWW
B.A., Liberal Arts, Sociology Concentration, UMass Boston
Experience: Greening the Gateway Cities Revere and Chelsea, Laborer, Forestry Assistant
Mass Audubon, Land Steward
Interests: Spending time outdoors with my family
Favorite Tree: Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) – At its best, having picture book upright branching and a rounded crown, white flowers, golden fall foliage, and beech-like bark. Its scarcity in both natural and urban environments is a big part of its allure, and while it is not native to New England, it can thrive here.
Mike Griffin
Education: Bachelor’s in Natural Resource Conservation with a concentration in Forest Management, UMASS 2014
Experience: Started working with DCR in Amherst assisting various management and service forestry projects, then worked one season as a Laborer on the Chelsea tree planting crew. Worked for two years as the Forestry Assistant at the Asian Longhorned Beetle Reforestation program. In 2017, became a Forester for the GGCP in Lynn and have been here since, totaling 11 planting seasons.
Interests: Backcountry snowboarding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and anything else to take me up mountains and get me out into the wilderness.
Favorite Tree: Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) It is a long lived tree that will leave an impact when open grown. It is also rather urban tolerant and can leave a lasting impression for years after it is planted.
