Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
P O Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802
(803) 725-5883 office
(803) 725-3309 fax
I have a broad range of interests including wetland ecology, habitat management and restoration, and plant conservation. One of my current projects is evaluating the erosion control potential of native grassland vegetation against two commonly-used turf grasses. I am also working with Audubon South Carolina on a new initiative exploring the potential of capped landfills to provide habitat for declining grassland bird species. My thesis research addressed potential effects of altered hydrology on floodplain forests. I have a strong interest in research that is applicable to management in part because I am chair of the task group that oversees management of the 30 DOE Research Set-Asides, a network of high-quality sites within the SRS that are protected for research. I also represent SREL at SRS-wide stakeholder meetings such as Forest Service prescription meetings.
My undergraduate background is in visual art, and I still maintain a strong interest in the arts. My most recent work is an ornamental conservation garden featuring the smooth purple coneflower, a federally endangered species native to the SRS. My photographs of SC plants have appeared in a variety of works, including the South Carolina Plant Atlas, the North American Digital Flora, the National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers, Wildflowers of the Carolinas Field Guide, SCETV's Making It Grow, and others. I also designed and maintain SREL's current website.
Besides the arts, some of my other outreach interests include traditional and culinary uses of native plants as a means to stimulate public appreciation of local plants and their ecosystems. Look for my table at SREL's annual Touch an Animal Day.