Hi! 👋 I am a field botanist and Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner working in the Chicago region. At Northwestern University, I studied environmental sciences with a focus on plant biology and conservation. After that, I worked for 8 years at an ecological consulting firm with projects for government agencies, non-profits, and private clients located throughout the Midwest. I now work for the Chicago Park District as part of the Environmental Conservation & Engagement team.
Aside from studying and restoring natural areas, one of the things I most enjoy is helping the average person realize that natural spaces, even in urban areas, are diverse, beautiful, and worthy of our protection and care.
Looking for a speaker?
I am taking a bit of a break from speaking engagements for the first half of 2022. If your event is past that timeframe, feel free to get in touch!
I can speak or teach works on the following topics:
- habitat restoration → planning, implementing, and monitoring prairie, wetland, savanna, and woodland restoration projects in the Midwest United States; performance standards for ecosystem restoration assessment; seed and plant mix design
- plant identification → intro to botany; Midwest US flowering plants including native and non-native species, invasive species, tree and shrubs; tools for plant ID; taxonomy; botanical terminology
- iNaturalist → intro to iNaturalist, all-day indoor/outdoor iNaturalist workshops, using iNaturalist for citizen science projects, advanced iNaturalist tools
If you’ve got ideas or opportunities, shoot me an email!
—cassi
