Gretchen is the original forester of LCD’s Healthy Forest Initiative. Hired as the Forestry Program Director in 2017, Gretchen grew the roots for what our forestry program is today. Since starting, she has implemented and overseen over 4,000 acres of forest restoration treatments in Larimer County.

​

Growing up in a musical family in Ithaca, NY, Gretchen quickly learned that music is great, but not what she wanted to spend her life doing. She has always been a nature lover and wanted to be outside as much as possible, which led her to pursue a B.S. in Environmental Biology from Principia College. The program focused on job-relevant skills and hands-on experiences which taught her a lot about forest management from silvicultural prescriptions to chainsaw safety. She also holds an M.S. in Plant Ecophysiology from Colorado State University and has worked in natural resource management and forestry in Colorado, Illinois, California, and New Zealand. All of these experiences have helped broaden her knowledge of forestry, ecology, and natural resource management. 

​

Aside from being a wealth of knowledge on front-range ecology and a great collaborator, Gretchen can ride a mountain bike faster than you and bake the best loaf of sourdough you’ve ever had.