Joshua M Shields grew up near Saginaw, Michigan, hunting, fishing, and hiking in the surrounding forestlands where his admiration of Forestry and Environmental Science are rooted. Having felt a deep connection to the forests around him, he naturally pursued academic studies related to his passion, achieving both his Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Ecology and his Master’s Degree in Forest Ecology at Michigan Technological University. He followed on the path of environmental education, obtaining a Ph. D. in Forest Biology from Purdue University.

As a forestry professional, Joshua M Shields has held numerous positions deeply involving him in the caring and management of his community’s surrounding forests. He has worked as a consulting ecologist and forester, collecting forest inventory data, developing forest management plans, and marking trees to be harvested. He has also implemented sampling protocols for monitoring bird and bat fatalities due to collisions with newly constructed wind turbines, supervised and trained field technicians, and wrote reports on data analysis.

Currently, Joshua M Shields works as an outreach forester. He performs site evaluations, prepares written handouts and recommendations, and provides technical advice for non-industrial private forest landowners regarding forest management and health, wildlife habitats, and other natural resource issues.

Joshua M Shields has deep convictions about nature and its relationship with mankind. With the stance of, “If we take care of the land, the land will take care of us” he believes that addressing vital environmental issues is critical to the survival of our species. He sees the environment as highly influential on every person’s complex array of interests and aspirations.

With an overall goal in life to be constantly improving himself as a person, Joshua M Shields believes the best way to do this is by helping others, because at the end of the day humans must band together as one entity to achieve long-term prosperity on Earth. He believes in challenging yourself every day and learning from mistakes.

About him: Joshua M Shields is an outreach forester. When he is not engaging in forestry work you can find him playing acoustic guitar, singing, and recording his music, and practicing martial arts. He has a Ph. D in Forest Biology and volunteers his services through demonstrations and workshops in his local communities.