In this Conservation District Forester Spotlight, meet Rob Walker, conservation forester for Boulder Valley and Longmont Conservation Districts (BLVCD) in north central Colorado. BVLCD serves communities in Colorado’s Northern Front Range, which spans across heavily wooded and heavily populated areas. There’s increasing local interest in forest health and wildfire preparedness after the region experienced a series of catastrophic wildfires. Many forests are dense and stressed, making them more prone to severe wildfire, insect infestations, and other negative impacts for wildlife.
Robert shares about the importance of building relationships with landowners and the rewards of completing forest restoration projects.
Question: If you traced your interest back to its roots, what triggered your passion for forestry?
Answer: I’ve always been a bit of a nature-lover, but what really sparked my passion for ecology and forest dynamics was my BIO102 class where we barely touched the surface of tree physiology. After that, I took a deep-dive into botany and ecological restoration.
Q: What’s most rewarding about being a conservation district (CD) forester?
A: It’s always great to see forest restoration work getting done on the ground. The last tree to be cut in a ponderosa forest restoration project is the culmination of a lot of work, the most important of which is the relationship building with the landowner.
Check out NACD's
webpage to read the full interview!
