Brian Kurmin Email & Phone Number

I am a member of a forestry crew that is and will be responsible for a multitude of forestry and environmental services across the state of Vermont. Services range from pruning apple orchards during the winter months, stream restoration projects in early spring with native tree plantings along rivers and streams and invasive species management, and timber harvesting project late on.

While the company was named Habitat Restoration Solutions while I was employed there, my time there was spent working in largely forested riverscapes. We spent the season treating invasive species in both a chemical and mechanical capacity; applying herbicides using both foliar sprays as well as cut stump methods. Occasionally, worked went beyond the treatment of invasive species. This included providing management recommendations on forested landscapes stream restoration projects using both mechanical and biological methods of restoration.

Independently led a crew ranging from three to seven forestry technicians on projects including installing permanent forest sample plots in UVM research forests, collecting high-resolution GPS points at sample plots, and assisting with a joint UVM, Audubon Vermont and Vermont Center for EcoStudies study of bird friendly maple sugaring operations in Vermont. The data generated from the work we completed will be used to assess the effectiveness of Audubon Vermont's Bird Friendly Maple Sugaring Recommendations.

Burlington, Vermont Area

I teach a group of roughly twenty students identification and silvicultural characteristics of over one hundred tree and shrub species over the course of a semester. This position allows me to practice communicating what I know about forestry to groups and individuals.

Burlington, Vermont Area

Learned the ins-and-outs of forest management from general grounds maintenance to designing and installing a Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI). Through completing the CFI, I was able to improve both the field forestry skills needed to work in remote areas, as well as the GIS mapping skills needed to create stand maps and plot layouts.

Burlington, Vermont Area

Assisted PhD Candidate, Pete Clark, with his research on how New England forests will respond shifting water availability that can be expected using future climactic models. My work was to maintain forest research plots, applying precipitation treatments and collecting data throughout the growing season.

Burlington, Vermont Area

Assisted PhD Candidate, Adam Noel, with his research on how soil texture and microbial fauna contribute and respond to changing carbon dioxide levels. Work occurred largely in a lab setting with controlled or collected samples; my job was to prepare and process samples.

Williston, Vermont

Conservation internship working under the supervision of Conservation Planner, Melinda Scott. I was responsible for trail and natural area maintenance, continuing a long-term stream monitoring project, planning volunteer work days, and completing conservation relation projects such as completing an invasive species survey. I further drafted an invasive species management plan for the Town of Williston's use.

Scituate, Massachusetts

I worked as waitstaff for the restaurant where I learned to work in a high pace and high pressure environment as well as develop my people skills in dealing with both costumers and colleagues.