Meet the UW-REN Team

The UW Restoration Ecology Network (UW-REN) is a tremendously valuable partner. Each year, since 2011, a team of UW students has planned and executed a restoration project in North Creek Forest. This year's team brings multiple ecological capabilities ranging from invasive removal, plant identification, technical skills including video editing and GIS mapping, as well as multiple accounts of project management experience. Read on to learn more about this year's team, and join us for their first work party on January 7, 2017 to meet them in person.

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Michael C. Groves
Major – Environmental Science & Resource Management
Minor - Restoration Ecology
Michael has a strong interest in turtle conservation. Since 2013, he has travelled multiple times a year to Florida and Texas to obtain representations of population growth and relative health of the environment and ecosystems through the North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group. He has professional experience in invasive removal and replanting native species in relatively urban areas. His relevant areas of academic expertise include plant identification, plant propagation, sustainability, landscape and planting design.

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Theodore L Sherrell
Major – Environmental Science & Resource Management
 
Theodore believes that environmental sustainability is not only a scientific issue, but a social one as well. Learning how to effectively engage the community and invite them into sustainable practices is just as important as knowing the science. Academically he has gained a lot of knowledge and experience with soil classifications. This will allow us to accurately classify the soils at our restoration site and help the planted species to thrive. He also has significant experience with video editing, allowing for better video documentation of the site’s restoration.

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Matthew Scott Martin
Major – Environmental Science & Resource Management
 
Matthew has an interest in phytoremediation, the practice of using plants to remove pollutants from the environment. He has taken a wide variety of ESRM classes that have prepared him to identify native Pacific Northwest plants and work with them in landscape design. Additionally, a minor in restoration ecology has provided him with a sufficient knowledge of ecological restoration. He has professional hands-on experience in carrying out restoration events through volunteer activities with Earth Corps and in community projects as a City of Kent employee. His ultimate goal is to work in South America, engaging in the restoration of tropical rainforests.

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Jasmine Kealoha Chung
Major - ESRM with specialization in Wildlife
Minor - Restoration Ecology
 
Jasmine is interested in restoring native habitats for local wildlife. She has gained professional experience at PAWS wildlife center with weighing, feeding, and rehabilitating injured wildlife that come into the facility. Academically she has gained knowledge in forest succession and invasive plant species as well as wildlife interactions and their impacts to overall ecosystem services. She has also gained experience in animal trapping and doing restoration work in the field. Her understanding of wildlife and invasive plant species will help us to create an ecosystem that favors the local wildlife and shades out invasives.

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Wendy Prather
Major – Environmental Science & Resource Management
 
Wendy has had experience in planting and water quality studies. Through her education, further experience in species native to the Pacific Northwest has been gained, along with further education of water quality issues present in urban settings. She has significant experience in project management and community outreach through almost 20 years of working with the public. In the future, she plans to study the interaction between restoration and geomorphology.

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Jiawei Ma
Major - Environmental Science & Resource Management
 
Jiawei believes that the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of ecosystems and their watersheds has become a global problem which requires the joint efforts of governments, the public, and researchers. She is concerned about water quality problems and has an internship in a water quality monitoring company. In the future, she would like to go to Germany and study the manufacture of the most advanced water quality testing equipment.

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