Nathan Custer Email & Phone Number

Prior to attending graduate school, I gained 14 years of professional lab and field experience. I enjoy a combination of office and field work, I am highly experienced in conducting environmental research that includes plant and wildlife surveys, designing experiments, and collecting all sorts of data accurately and efficiently.Working for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), I assisted with designing experiments and studies, such as a study that determined the effectiveness of a conservation plan implemented to reduce degradation of threatened species habitat. I also supervised many interns and technicians while collecting data in amazing remote areas of the Mojave Desert. My graduate research focused on determining which desert shrub ecotypes had the highest levels of fitness when moved to restoration sites outside of their environment. I collaborated with federal, state, and private landowners to establish common garden sites in Utah and California where I constructed three half-acre rodent-proof fences. After transplanting 2500 shrubs that I grew from seed inside a greenhouse, I measured multiple morphological, phenological, and physiological traits over a four year period which required much planning and organization.I am accustomed to working independently or on a team. Ever since I was a young adult, I have always enjoyed jumping into new projects, solving problems, have often been described as a tenacious person, and having a good sense of humor.