Brian Pisarek is the Advanced Wildlife Instructor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and he is also the Structured Fire Chief for the City of Aitkin, Minnesota. Brian has a B.S. in Forestry and has an extensive list of fire qualifications, too! In today’s episode, Brian shares a little bit about how to keep yourself safe during a wildland fire, how to best manage family expectations when you’ve got to abruptly cancel plans to fight a fire, and so much more!
Key Takeaways:
[1:15] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:50] A quick intro about Brian’s background.
[3:30] How did Brian first get started in his fire career?
[7:15] Be hungry for new opportunities.
[8:00] Firefighting is dangerous work; how does Brian manage the expectations of his friends and family?
[10:00] Brian has had a few close calls when it comes to fighting fire. It’s important to stay up-to-date with safety information and listen closely to your safety officer.
[10:50] What kind of work does Brian do now?
[11:35] What’s unique about the firefighting community?
[12:55] How can young and aspiring professionals get started in this career?
[14:40] Communication is what clogs the system. A good leader needs to know how to communicate clearly and effectively.
[18:35] What’s the difference in the work environment when it comes to wildland fire vs. structured fire?
[20:35] What kinds of mentors has Brian had over the years?
[22:45] How does the fire community manage their work/life balance?
[26:20] What is Brian most proud of about his career?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Will Novy-Hildesley is the Executive Director of the North American Forest Partnership (NAFP), a diverse set of people and organizations who are passionate about the future of forests. NAFP is also the driver of #forestproud, where they collect stories from all over the world of what the forest means to individuals and natural resource professionals. Find out more about what NAFP is doing and how you can get involved in their amazing work in this week’s episode!
Key Takeaways:
[1:00] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:40] A quick intro about Will’s background.
[3:40] How did Will first get into natural resources?
[7:15] There aren’t many sectors where people are so passionate about what they do that they stay with one company throughout their entire career.
[10:25] People are losing touch with their natural environment and there are consequences to that.
[11:00] Human beings are meant to spend time in nature.
[11:50] Will shares the differences he has noticed between the U.S. and the UK.
[17:25] How did the North American Forest Partnership (NAFP) first get started?
[24:50] How does the #forestproud platform connect with NAFP?
[30:15] Everyone has an answer when it comes to what makes them proud about being in forestry.
[35:25] Will explains how to develop content that works.
[42:55] Will is very proud of his team and shares a little bit more about what they are up to.
[45:15] How can people get involved with #forestproud?
[48:15] What makes Will #forestproud?
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Buddy Huffaker is the Board President and Executive Director for Aldo Leopold Foundation, a non-profit conservation organization located in Wisconsin. Buddy is very proud to be part of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, an organization he joined over 20 years ago as an intern. In today’s episode, Buddy shares a little bit about how the foundation got started, what exciting new things the foundation is working on right now, and how students can get involved in its exciting projects!
Key Takeaways:
[1:00] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:40] A quick intro about Buddy’s background.
[3:10] What got Buddy interested in natural resources?
[6:40] How did Buddy get started with the Aldo Leopold Foundation?
[9:25] Buddy shares a bit about the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s history and what they do.
[11:25] The Aldo Leopold Foundation is celebrating their 70 year anniversary of the A Sand County Almanac book!
[14:25] What projects is the Aldo Leopold Foundation focused on right now?
[19:40] Are you mentoring young professionals? Let them know about the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s programs!
[24:00] What leadership advice does Buddy have for young professionals?
[29:30] What is Buddy’s team like?
[32:25] What advice does Buddy have about leadership when it comes to his team?
[35:35] Part of buddy’s job is to help teach his staff how to say no to things!
[40:15] Partnerships are critical for any NGO, but what makes a good partnership succeed?
[46:30] Buddy offers ways you can support the Aldo Leopold Foundation.
[48:30] What is Buddy most proud of, so far?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Chris Joe is an NRCS District Conservationist and a landowner in Alabama. He is a Fourth-Generation African American landowner and he raises cattle on his land. However, through tapping into the NRCS resources, he’s found out how to maximize his land by providing bird and nature tours! The NRCS has a wide range of resources that not many people are aware of and on today’s episode, Chris shares some of these amazing and fantastic resources today.
Key Takeaways:
[1:35] A message from Leadership Nature.
[2:20] A quick intro about Chris’s background.
[4:40] How did Chris get into cattle farming?
[6:35] Chris explains the definition of ‘black belt’ and how it relates to the soil.
[9:30] What kind of work ethic did Chris learn while working on the farm?
[12:15] Chris shares a bit of his family history.
[15:25] How has Chris been able to diversify his land?
[21:20] NRCS has SO many resources for landowners!
[24:05] Chris has people from all over the states coming to his land to watch birds. He never knew that would be possible without the help of forestry professionals.
[25:55] Chris keeps a journal for his farm. It’s helped him tremendously keep track of the history of the farm!
[30:25] What’s next for Chris and his farm?
[35:55] Chris shares a bit about his educational journey on how he got into farming and conservation.
[42:40] You don’t want to go on to somebody’s farm and tell them what they have to change. It will rub them the wrong way. You’ve gotta do a bit of pre-work first to build trust.
[52:15] The NRCS has a lot of available resources and programs for landowners who might not be able to afford it, too.
[59:15] Chris loves being able to partner with the community and teach them practical lessons on how to efficiently use the land.
[1:03:25] Another resource that the NRCS teaches is about game hunting on your property; what’s legal and what’s not legal to do.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Website for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities: Usendowment.org
More information on the SFLR Program: Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR)
More information on USDA NRCS: Nrcs.usda.gov
Elaine Snowberger kicks off this new season of Leadership Nature. In this season, Tom will be featuring up-and-coming forestry and natural resource students to share their educational experiences. Elaine shares some of the benefits of joining a forestry club, why she loves being part of the Clemson University family, and shares tips on how she scored her first forestry position!
Key Takeaways:
[1:15] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:55] A quick intro about Elaine’s background.
[3:10] What got Elaine interested in forestry?
[6:55] Elaine shares what her experience at the Clemson forestry club was like.
[9:45] Elaine was elected treasurer of the club, then she went on to be vice president, and then president of the club.
[10:10] At the club, Elaine mainly did crosscut events.
[12:00] What are some of the benefits of being in the forestry club?
[16:20] Elaine loves being part of the Clemson family.
[20:35] Elaine shares how she found her first job in forestry.
[23:10] What advice does Elaine have for new students?
[24:50] Don’t be afraid to job shadow industry professionals!
[26:45] Elaine has made a good impression in being seen as a leader to her peers.
[29:45] What were some of the most memorable courses Elaine had in school?
Mentioned in This Episode: