Senior Olivia Lopez ‘21, from North Andover, Massachusetts, came to the University of Vermont (UVM) as an Environmental Sciences major, added a double major in Forestry, and became a leader for environmental sustainability and inclusion across campus.

During her sophomore year in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, she was required to choose a concentration in Environmental Sciences. The NR 205 course on ecosystem management had sparked Olivia's interest in forest ecosystems. At the recommendation of her faculty advisor, Jennifer Pontius, Olivia settled on a second major, instead, and turned her attention to a potential career in forestry.

“During my four years, I found the support from the Forestry Program to be very helpful,” said Olivia, who credits faculty Tony D’Amato, Luben Dimov, and Bill Keeton. “They have always been eager to talk about my future plans and forestry topics that I am passionate about.”

As a Rubenstein School Perennial Summer Intern in 2020, Olivia GPS-located and permanently marked continuous forest inventory (CFI) plots on UVM Forests, including the 476-acre Jericho Research Forest, the largest of the four forests managed by the Rubenstein School.

“The plots allow for easier monitoring in the future,” said Olivia who worked on the project with a group of students led by Professor Tony D’Amato, Director of UVM Forests. “Continuous inventory provides a lot of data to monitor growth and mortality of forests, which can also provide a lot of information about carbon storage and sequestration, how trees are responding to changing environments, and can help inform better forest management.”

While following COVID-precautions, including wearing masks and social distancing, Olivia and two other undergraduate students finished locating the 464 continuous forest inventory (CFI) plots now installed on the forest properties.

“This internship was a fantastic experience for me, as a student of forestry who is interested in this sort of fieldwork,” said Olivia. “I enjoyed learning about the process of setting up a CFI inventory and gaining first-hand experience in the boots-on-the-ground aspects of the job. The most special part of this experience was being a part of something that will continue for so long beyond my involvement. This is truly what draws me to forestry—doing work now for others to enjoy well into the future.”

Olivia helped to engage others in the forestry field. On campus, she founded a group called Femmes in Forestry.

“There is a general consensus that females, or femmes, in this typically male-dominated field and major need a little extra support from one another,” said Olivia. “The name Femmes in Forestry sounds discriminatory towards other majors, but it’s really a support and professional development space for femmes majoring in related natural resource majors—environmental sciences, wildlife, fisheries, natural resources, and more.”

Her involvement on campus went well beyond Forestry and the Rubenstein School as a senator in the UVM Student Government Association (SGA).

“I got involved in SGA because I saw room for change and development in the sustainability aspect of UVM,” said Olivia, who was employed by UVM as one of ten members of SGA’s executive committee. “I learned that SGA would be a great place to voice my concerns and take action.”

As chair of a SGA committee on the environment, she helped to manage a $1.8 million budget in calculating and offsetting carbon emissions for the UVM Davis Student Center and UVM’s 200-plus student clubs.

Olivia and two other students received a small grant from the UVM Sustainable Campus Fund to examine the efficacy of the university’s Office of Sustainability website. Olivia and her cohorts recommended adding information to better address student needs. And, with a paid UVM Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Olivia assessed the feasibility of biomass energy as a sustainable renewable energy option for the state of Vermont.

In recognition of her environmental leadership on campus, Olivia received senior awards from SGA, Student Life, and the Mosaic Center for Students of Color and from the Forestry Program and Rubenstein School.

After graduation, she will work as a self-employed landscaping contractor for the summer. With her passion for forestry and environmental sustainability, Olivia considers graduate school in the not-too-distant future and a career researching forest health and trees’ ability to store carbon and slow climate change.