Hello! My name is Elle DeWaard,

...and I am honored to be one of the 2024 Grossman Scholarship recipients.

I am a junior at Colorado State University studying Forest and Rangeland Stewardship with a concentration in Forest Management. Outside of the classroom, I am the President of Minoritized Genders in Natural Resources (MGNR) and the PR Representative for the Student Alpha Chapter of the Society of American Foresters (SAF).
Growing up in Iowa, I was not personally exposed to careers that involve being in nature, other than agriculture. When I moved to the foothills in middle school, however, my love for the natural spaces surrounding me grew and I wanted to learn more about the beautiful landscapes that feel like home. I decided to pursue a career in forestry for the same reason most people do – I love being outside. What I’ve found, however, is that my career in forestry has a purpose beyond smelling ponderosa pines and watching butterflies. My purpose is to foster the connection and stewardship of natural resources by all, and to encourage the innate relation to nature that we all possess. We can all be stewards of the land. I have begun acting towards this purpose through my leadership roles in MGNR at CSU and SAF at both CSU and Front Range Community College, where I got an Associate’s of Applied Science, Forest Technology. I hope to continue this purpose by having leadership roles in my professional life and teaching people about the environment in my personal life.

My future career goal is to further my education in Silviculture, a forestry discipline I am most drawn to. Silviculture emphasizes natural models of forest management that incorporate principles of species diversity and management timing.

-- Please excuse the pause in our regular programming for a quick definition --



WHAT IS SILVICULTURE?

"Silviculture is the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society such as wildlife habitat, timber, water resources, restoration, and recreation on a sustainable basis" (1).

Silviculture practices are an effort to maintain forests that imitate nature as they experience disturbances such as climate change, disease, and other factors (2). Silviculture treatments can include: pruning, thinning, harvesting, planting, and prescribed burning.

-- And now back to Elle's blog... --

I am intrigued by a role that controls all of the factors that go into forest management such as regeneration, composition, health, wildlife habitat, recreational value, etc. with the goal of meeting the diverse needs and values of society and the ecosystem. To meet this goal, I will take the time to advance in my career through work experience in a variety of agencies and locations post-graduation. I then hope to complete a graduate-level program that will help me become a certified Silviculturist, and work as a Silviculturist somewhere in the intermountain west.

The Grossman Scholarship will help me continue my education at CSU without the financial burden that comes with a university. Without having to worry about my financial ability to complete my undergraduate education, I can shift my primary focus to furthering my forestry education, professional development, and career in Natural Resources. I am currently working on advancing my professional experience by working part-time with the Colorado State Forest Service as a Forestry Technician while attending classes full-time. These synchronous opportunities are important for me to maintain as they both focus on my career development in forestry. The Grossman Scholarship will encourage me to better learn the intricacies of natural resource management and policy, strengthen my technical and professional skills, and have a positive impact in my community.

I am so thankful for this opportunity that Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado has shared with me and am looking forward to being a part of this organization. Get outside and hug a tree!