Education:
- M.S., Forest Sciences - Colorado State University, Fort Collins. 2002.
Thesis: Identifying Likely Wildfire Ignition Points Using Topographic Analysis, Statistical Investigations and Artificial Intelligence.
- B.A., Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology / Psychology - University of Colorado, Boulder. 1994.
Background:
After obtaining his bachelor's degree in biology Brett went to work for The City of Boulder (Colorado) Open Space Department doing battle with such heinous foreign invaders as Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa), Leafy Spurge (Euphorba esula) and Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).
During the annual lull in the battle he was given the opportunity to perform strategic planning in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab for the next year's mêlée. After a season of strenuous fieldwork Brett found that he liked this "sitting down thing" and continued to work in the GIS Lab for the next three fall/winters while returning to the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) frontlines each spring.
Eventually, he became the assistant (and occasionally acting) IPM coordinator. During this time he was graciously given time off to take an internship with the non-profit Ecologically Sustainable Development Inc., on a project to help develop a land use plan for the Ussuri Watershed in the Russian Far East. He returned to work in Boulder with a new appreciation for the immense challenges faced by the conservation profession worldwide and a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the field.
GIS and Remote Sensing continued to pique his interest and in 1999 he decided to return to school to learn what this technology was capable of. Two and ½ years and many interminable evenings in front of a computer later, he has a workable grasp of its capabilities and, perhaps more importantly, its limitations.
Research Interests:
- The application of GIS and remote sensing to natural resource conservation especially in regard to:
- Wildfire ecology and behavior
- Supporting the return of wildfire to its historic role in maintaining healthy ecosystems
- Tracking and managing non-native invasive weeds
- Balancing human and ecosystem needs in a sustainable fashion
Current Projects:
- Multi-scale analysis of fire history and bio-physical data from the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Area
- Assembly of a digital fire atlas and associated data for the Frank Church / River of No Return Wilderness Complex (inc. Gospel Hump Wilderness).
Professional History:
GIS Technician / Resource (IPM) Technician - City of Boulder Open Space Department, Boulder, Colorado: March 1995 to January 1999.
User Support - Advanced Technology Lab, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado: June 1999 to April 2002.
Research Assistant, Joint Fire Science Project, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado: June 1999 to June 2001.
General Interests:
- International travel
- Backpacking
- Reading lots of non-educational books
Contact Information:
Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
790 E. Beckwith Ave.
Missoula, MT 59801
Phone: 406-329-2127
Fax: 406-329-2124
E-mail: bhdavis@fs.fed.us
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