Shirley Lorentz measuring tree ring widths with the Velmex system.
Where are you from? What university are you attending or have attended?
I am from western Washington State. I grew up in Friday Harbor and Bellingham, then went high school in Seattle. I took classes at North Seattle Community College and finally, I went to the University of Idaho for a bachelor's degree in Forest Resources Management. I have taken some graduate level forestry classes at the University of Washington, but am not pursuing a degree from them.
What have you studied in science or are currently studying?
I have studied geology and meteorology before I decided to become a forester.
I am not a scientist now, but much of the work I do is guided by the contributions of scientists. I use forestry research to tell me what trees are the best for planting in certain sites, or the best spacing for thinning trees, or which trees make good wildlife habitat for which creatures, and which trees can add nutrients to streams, or provide good stream shade, and which trees get which kinds of insects and which diseases, or how we can keep the soil in good condition for trees and plants into the future.
Do you have any ideas on what a middle school student could do in Science right now?
What or who inspired you to get into Science in the first place? What do you like about Science?
My mother earned degrees in math and physics in college and she encouraged me to try science classes because I might like them as she did.
I like the idea that you may end up figuring out the answer to a puzzle that no one has answered yet, like why things are the way they are, or how things are. You will add to the knowledge of how the world works.
What advice do you have for a middle school student who is interested in becoming a scientist?
I think every chance you get, take advantage of it. Don't be too busy for the opportunities put in front of you, like having a really cool science teacher who goes above and beyond to give you the chance to learn new things.
Try everything you can. You never know what unpredictable, seemingly uninteresting thing may blow your mind when you get in close.
Have fun doing it.
Free form
I get to hear about the work of scientists when they present their work and they usually leave me thinking wow, what a cool job they have! I know a woman who studies how trees grow. She showed us time-lapse photography of two Douglas-fir seedlings growing side by side. As they grew up, they twisted around each other and then untwisted from each other several times in one month. When I walk through the forest, I sometimes see trees that look like they've grown together and twisted around each other. Now I wonder, how many times have these trees been twisted and untwisted around their neighbors. A lot goes on when we are not looking.