Five key insights. Five best practices.
As a member of the Envu Stewardship Team, Harry Quicke develops new vegetation control strategies and oversees dissemination of this important information through a variety of mediums.
Take Five with Harry Quicke
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Harry's key insights:
1. We are truly living the “Science for a Better Life” motto. We’re developing vegetation management strategies that control invasive weeds while increasing native populations, biodiversity and wildlife habitat, and reducing wildfire frequency and intensity. It’s exciting, being part of a development process that has a direct effect on the world around us.
2. Conventional wisdom is often not correct and can be overturned with well-designed studies. When we first label a product, we are only at the beginning of uncovering all the possibilities.
3. There is no typical day. Sometimes it’s in the office writing reports, managing a research program, and responding to email requests. Sometimes it’s in the field visiting cooperators and looking at studies. Sometimes it’s visiting directly with customers to talk about new vegetation control strategies. Sometimes it’s attending a meeting and presenting on new vegetation management options.
4. A large part of my time involves working with university or private researchers to jointly develop new vegetation management strategies. Many steps are involved, from writing protocols, communicating with cooperators, shipping materials, and visiting trials to collecting and processing data, writing reports, and finally disseminating the information.
5. My most rewarding experience so far on the Envu Stewardship Team is becoming actively involved in the development of Esplanade® for control of invasive annual grasses. These invasive grasses are spreading at an alarming rate across the western US, and Esplanade brings a new level of control. It is particularly gratifying to hear how impressed ecologists are with results and the transformation that occurs after Esplanade treatments in natural areas.
Harry's best practices:
1. Always read the label first!
2. Know where the risks are.
3. Actively communicate those risks.
4. Take appropriate steps to mitigate the risks.
5. Promote practices that result in the best long-term outcomes for protection, restoration and habitat creation.
