Tom Brochu
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EmailTom has participated in the Graduate Certificate to support his work as an Ohio Volunteer Forest Naturalist with the Cincinnati Nature Center.
Tom Brochu
Current Location: Mason, Ohio
Current Position: Ohio Volunteer Forest Naturalist, Cincinnati Nature Center
Previous Education: BS, Resources Management (Forestry) at SUNY-ESF and MBA, Business Administration, Duke University
How has completing the Graduate Certificate supported your goals?
I began my work as a Volunteer Forest Naturalist at the Cincinnati Nature Center after I retired and I was in the fortunate position where I no longer needed to pursue economic or financial goals. I took these courses solely for the purpose of gaining new knowledge in subjects that were of interest to me in my role as a volunteer forest naturalist. As a trail guide, I have the opportunity to discuss environmental issues with visitors, most often in one-on-one conversations with hikers I encounter on the trails.
What specific knowledge and skills has this program helped you strengthen?
The knowledge that I gained in this program is for the sole purpose of sharing with others. I hope to increase their appreciation and understanding of how our forests positively affect our global environment and mitigate the effects of increasing levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.
While I have a keen interest in the science of forest ecology, my lifelong love of forests goes well beyond that. I have long been captivated by how forests have contributed to our national history and culture. The story of the American chestnut tree brings together so much of the history of forests in America. People depended on the American chestnut and, by the introduction of the chestnut blight fungus, people have very nearly destroyed it. However, the exciting science going on today in this field is both important and inspirational. To imagine that our forests may once again in our lifetime see the return of the American chestnut tree is just remarkable. Inspired by that vision as well as a desire to share my love of forest history, I wrote the song “The Queen of the Forest.”
