John grew up in New Jersey before moving west to attend the University of Montana, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography with a Spanish minor.
After graduating, he spent several years working on backcountry trails, vegetation monitoring, and ecological restoration projects in Montana and the Southwest, including two years restoring riparian areas along Arizona’s Verde and Gila rivers. In between these positions he found time to travel in Central America and live in Spain for a few years.
John earned an MS in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University, where he researched how farmer perceptions of ecosystem services influence tree management and habitat connectivity in Costa Rica. As Restoration and GIS Coordinator with RiversEdge West, John is looking forward to working alongside landowners and agencies in Colorado and Utah to meet their restoration goals and continue improving riparian habitat in the Southwest.
