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: My entry into conservation work and land stewardship began with Mass Audubon where I took particular interest in trees as I learned more about the services and benefits they provide. I have also worked as a gardener as well as a laborer and forestry assistant for the Greening the Gateway Cities program in Revere and Chelsea.
Interests: Continued learning about planting, pruning, and soil management practices. Spending time outdoors with my family.
Favorite Tree: Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) – A shade tree with a classic upright-rounded crown, attractive flowers, fall color, and beech-like bark. I’m drawn to the large leaflets in comparison to some of its compound-leafed peers. Its scarcity in both natural and urban environments is a big part of its lure, and while it’s 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.
