The important thing to glorious mountaineering path design is that it appears utterly pure, unmade by human arms. All the intent and energy that goes into designing mountaineering trails are greatest appreciated once they go unnoticed.
Get pleasure from this fascinating look into the thoughts of path ecologist Jeff Marion, Ph.D. who pulls again the curtain on the rigorously made design language of angles, alignment, and supplies that hold mountaineering trails satisfying for generations.
Amongst Dr. Marion’s papers printed to The US Geological Survey, I discovered his analysis investigating the affect of path structure on three core kinds of degradation utilizing a dataset from the Appalachian Nationwide Scenic Path to be significantly fascinating READ HERE.
Jeff Marion grew up exploring the woods, streams, and caves of Kentucky, creating sturdy pursuits in nature research and excessive journey out of doors actions. One in every of 4 Eagle Scouts in his household, he served for 5 summers at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, instructing backpacking and climbing expertise.
Coursework in biology, ecology, and geology at Wittenberg College led to a B.S. in Biology (1979), and M.S. and Ph.D. levels in Recreation Assets Administration from the College of Minnesota (1982/84). Graduate research centered on recreation ecology analysis, combining sturdy private pursuits within the ecological sciences together with his persevering with ardour for out of doors leisure pursuits, significantly backpacking, climbing, caving, and canoeing.
His doctoral analysis measured camping-associated environmental impacts within the Boundary Waters Canoe Space Wilderness to research relationships between biophysical impacts, quantity of use, and plant neighborhood, soil, and ecological classifications.
Skilled Expertise
- 8/97-2001 – DOI, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Analysis Middle Title: Analysis Biologist Duties: Unit Chief for the PWRC Virginia Tech Subject Station. Carried out recreation ecology analysis to judge customer impacts to protected pure areas.
- 11/94-7/97 – DOI, Nationwide Organic Survey, Div. of Cooperative Analysis, Blacksburg, VA Title: Analysis Biologist Duties: Unit Chief, Cooperative Park Research Unit. Carried out recreation ecology analysis.
- 6/85-10/94 – DOI, Nationwide Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Area Title: Analysis Biologist Responsibility Stations: 1) Virginia Tech; Blacksburg, VA and a pair of) Delaware Water Hole NRA; Milford, PA Dates: 1) 10/89-10/94 2) 6/85-9/89 Duties: Unit Chief, Cooperative Park Research Unit (when at VT). Carried out recreation ecology analysis.
- 12/84-5/85 – College of Wisconsin, Park, Recreation & Useful resource Administration program, River Falls, WI Title: Assistant Professor
Training and Certifications
- Ph.D. Recreation Assets Administration, 3/82-7/84, Univ. of Minnesota – Forest Assets
- M.S. Recreation Assets Administration, 9/80-3/82, Univ. of Minnesota – Forest Assets
- Environmental Science, 9/79-6/80, Duke College – College of the Surroundings (transferred)
- B.A. Biology, 9/75-6/79, Wittenberg College
picture from USGS
