Matt is the District Conservationist for Merced County, CA with the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service. He previously worked as Director of the Conservation
Research Program at the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) from 2014 to 2021. He has
conducted extensive research into management of invasive, exotic plant species to aid
in restoration of native habitats. Matt worked as an Invasive Plant Ecologist for Sequoia
and Kings Canyon National Parks, documenting and developing Integrated Pest
Management strategies to manage invasive plants for the park’s roughly 895,000 acres.
He was active in several local Weed Management Areas and worked with a variety of
partners, including federal, state, nonprofits, and private landowners to accomplish
invasive plant management efforts. Prior to coming to IAE, he also taught in the Biology
Departments at Gonzaga University and Montana Tech. He received his B.S. in Wildlife
and Fisheries Ecology from Oklahoma State University, M.S. in Biology from Sul Ross
State University, and PhD in Wildlife Science from South Dakota State University.

Matt‘s PhD dissertation focused on developing methods for restoration of tall- and mid-
grass prairie in the northern Great Plains, including research examining grassland bird response current restoration efforts to help improve management. Matt has conducted research in a variety of ecosystems in the southwest, southeast, great plains, and Sierra Nevada, in addition to the Pacific Northwest. His research interests are broadly based in native habitat restoration and enjoys conducting research that can directly aid land managers. He is active in several professional societies, including the Natural Areas Association, Society for Ecological Restoration, and The Wildlife Society, including serving as Chair of The Wildlife Society’s Wildlife and Habitat Restoration Working Group. Matt indulges his academic interests as an Instructor in the Department of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University, where he teaches courses and mentors students.