Abby Andrus Colehour (they/them pronouns) works as the Restoration Projects Manager for the Long Tom Watershed Council, specializing in oak, prairie, and wetland ecosystem restoration. They are involved in a range of collaborative projects including oak woodland thinning, hazardous fuels reduction, reseeding, biochar making, social forestry, vegetation monitoring, targeted animal grazing/browsing, prairie conversions, and management plan writing. They are a member of the Upper Willamette Stewardship Network Tribal Partnerships and Decolonizing Forum and have firefighter type-2 training with intentions to support prescribed burning in the Willamette Valley and beyond. Raised in the oak savanna and mixed deciduous forests of Minnesota, the lush forests and tall trees of Oregon enticed them to Eugene after graduating with an undergraduate degree in Biology from Macalester College. Abby is working towards a vision of land management in which ecology and human culture are inextricably linked, starting by uplifting indigenous leadership and sovereignty. They like to weave willow baskets, make herbal medicines, and process firewood in their spare time.
