Familiar faces…
For several years, the Forest Landscape Restoration seminar has brought a wide variety of international participants to the US learn restoration techniques, exchange ideas, and brainstorm solutions to common problems.
In addition to bringing all of our alumni together, the FLR seminar has included subject matter experts from inside and outside the government so they may share their knowledge and experiences for the benefit of our international participants.
This page is dedicated to those subject matter experts so they may update you all on projects they are working on and hopefully continue to inspire creative solutions to the many challenges our alumni face.
Justin Green
Justin Green is a Program Manager on the Asia Pacific team at US Forest Service International Programs. In this position, Justin manages natural resource management programs that the Agency is conducting in partnership with government agencies and civil society organizations throughout South Asia. Prior to coming to USFS/IP in early 2017, Justin was a Program Assistant for the Environment Sector at Peace Corps Malawi in Lilongwe. Prior to that position, Justin served as a Community Based Natural Resource Management Extension Agent for the US Peace Corps in Mulanje, Malawi. Justin served on the USFS FLR Seminar Team in 2019 enjoys participating in FLR Seminar activities whenever he can. Originally from the Sacramento area in California, he has a Bachelor’s of Science from California State University, Chico in Plant Biology with a Minor in Agriculture.
Justin Green, Asia-Pacific Team
Matt Horning, Plant Geneticist with Deschutes National Forest
Matt Horning
Recently Matt has been supporting the USFS Office of International Programs on reforestation/tree nursery projects in Morocco and Fiji. The work in Morocco is focused on reforestation and conservation of the culturally significant tree species Atlas Cedar, while the work in Fiji is focused on creating a sustainable source of Mahogany wood through reforestation of historical Mahogany plantations. The common theme that ties these projects together is the sharing of USFS best management practices for reforestation including tree nursery development and operations.
Matt has been an eager participant in the FLR seminar in the past and has been incredibly enriched by the friends and colleagues he has met and worked with over the years. He is looking forward to hearing the updates from others and is very much looking forward to future FLR seminar offerings.
Aysha Ghadiali
Aysha Ghadiali sends her regards to all FLR Seminar alumni and speakers and congratulates the team on the launch of the alumni network! In 2020, Aysha continued to work virtually with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) on finalizing their Guidelines for Forest Landscape Restoration in the Tropics. The ITTO FLR technical guidelines, and its policy brief, include input from global experts, case studies, and availability in Spanish, French, and English. Currently, Aysha is spearheading the U.S. Forest Service commemoration of 21 March International Day of Forests and its 2021 theme: forest restoration, a path to recovery and well-being. Over the past year, she’s been grateful for urban nature and the historic architecture in her local Washington, DC park.
Aysha Ghadiali, USFS IP Policy
Advisor
Lindsay Buchanan
Lindsay Buchanan is the National Coordinator for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program with the USDA Forest Service. This program – first created by the United States Congress in 2009 – encourages and invests in collaborative, science-based approaches to forest landscape restoration to advance forest health, benefit rural communities, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. In her role, Lindsay provides policy guidance and technical assistance to the 24 selected landscapes, supporting an active community of practice and actively sharing lessons learned within and beyond the program.
Before her current role, Lindsay served as a Policy Advisor to the Undersecretary of Rural Development at the US Department of Agriculture, as Program Director at a small environmental education non-profit with a global reach, and as a consultant at the United Nations Environmental Programme in Nairobi, Kenya.
Lindsay has been a member of the FLR Seminar planning team since the beginning, and interacting with participants from around the world is something she looks forward to every year. She learns something new from each and every participant.
She is fortunate enough to be based in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys visiting Bend and John Day whenever she can!
Lindsay has a bachelor of arts in anthropology from Washington University in St Louis and a master in environmental management from Yale University.
Lindsay Buchanan, USDA Forest Service
Kayla Herriman, USDA Forest Service Seed Extractory
Kayla Herriman
Kayla Herriman is the manager of the USDA Forest Service Seed Extractory in Bend, Oregon. This facility provides seed processing, testing, and storages services to governmental agencies in the United States. We currently process more than 4,000 species of grasses, forbs, shrubs, and conifers. Prior to managing the facility, she was in reforestation and specialized in conifer cone collection and large-scale plantings after wildfire.
Kayla earned a Bachelor of Science in natural resources from Oregon State University and a Master of Science in Forest Regeneration from the University of Idaho.
Sarah Garvin
Sarah Garvin is the assistant manager of the USDA Forest Service Seed Extractory in Bend, Oregon. Sarah works to make sure production goals are met and the clients receive their seed when needed for forest landscape restoration projects. Prior to working at the extractory Sarah held various field positions in botany across the western US. Sarah earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Western Washington University.
Sarah Garvin, USDA Forest Service Seed Extractory
Silvia Salgado, Restoration Program of the Water Protection Fund for Quinto
Silvia Salgado (2018 FLR Seminar)
Silvia Salgado works in the Restoration Program of the Water Protection Fund for Quito (FONAG). FONAG’s mission is the conservation of water sources for Quito, Ecuador; with a focus on the recovery of páramos and forests through active, passive, and biophysical restoration. The restoration program works directly with the water conservation areas supporting the development of mutually beneficial partnership between communities and private landowners. FONAG also promotes the use of native plants in restoration projects and actively works to improve the capacity of local nurseries and creation of community nurseries. FONAG partnerships with these nurseries helped to plant about 200,00 plants in 2020 and is on track to exceed that amount in 2021. The seedlings grown from these local nurseries are used in agrosilvopastoral projects and other tree plantation projects. In areas affected by overgrazing in páramos, FONAG is actively restoring sand flats and wetlands drained because of overgrazing for more than 100. In the case of landslides, gabions have been installed to prevent sediment from falling into rivers and in wetlands, dams have been installed to re-wet them. These efforts are made in support of the Water Utility Company in providing local communities with high quality and reliable sources of water