Jamie Irving, MS student - Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (CTEC) - Antioch University New England
Jamie Irving
MS Candidate
Resource Management and Administration
Email Jamie
Personal Statement
As a child, I had a little bench in a hay field across from my home in a small rural town of New Hampshire. The point from which I sat offered a perfect of the local mountains, usually accompanied by a perfect dusk rainbow. The history of the field was visible throughout the town; road names, black and white images at the grange, local residents’ stories. The field was turned into a subdivision a number of years ago; my bench is gone, as are many of the local ties to this special place.
As a Resource Management and Administration student my interests span many horizons, but especially with the prevention of such irresponsible development. I believe that there is a way to provide the infrastructural needs of a community while maintaining the ecological and communal integrity of the area.
However, my interests have migrated to the Central Americas. The time I have spent in Nicaragua and Costa Rica has taught me the importance of proper planning on all levels, local or national. I have witnessed human and ecological travesties that could have been prevented with better management. However, I have also witnessed many successes where the best for the local community and ecology was attained. I hope to integrate my learning at Antioch with the established wisdom of the tropics.
Education
Antioch University New England, Keene, New Hampshire
Master of Science, Resource Management and Administration
Colby—Sawyer College, New London, New Hampshire
Bachelor of Science, Community and Environmental Studies
Minor in Philosophy with an emphasis in Environmental Ethics
December 2003
Employment
Pierre J. Bedard and Company
Wilmot, New Hampshire
Assistant Surveyor
May 2001—October 2003
- Cleared sight lines
- Operated survey rod
- Investigated land issues surrounding development and preservation
- Researched specific property information through land deeds, sales agreements and other historical information
Greenplan Landscaping and Lawncare
Belmont, New Hampshire
Operations Manager
May 1996—Present
- Managed a team of four employees in various landscaping responsibilities
- Acquired knowledge of most industry skills, including: mowing, pruning, walkway installation, lawn installation, specialty planting, irrigation installation and tree removal
Internship and Volunteer
Ausbon-Sargent Land Preservation Trust
New London, New Hampshire
Office Assistant Intern/Easement Monitor
May 2001—October 2001
- Monitored easement boundary lines
- Created property database via Microsoft Access for ASLPT
- Posted ASLPT signage for future easement monitors
John Hay National Wildlife Refuge
Newbury, New Hampshire
Advanced Community and Environmental Studies Project
September 2003—May 2004
- Created a natural resources inventory
- Specific emphasis on terrestrial invasive species, (flora)
- Developed a master plan for the refuge
Community and Environmental Studies Independent Research
Newbury, New Hampshire
January 2003—May 2004
- Conducted a wildlife inventory for the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge
- Created a wildlife corridors map with the aid of GPS and GIS systems
Travel
Costa Rica—1996 Three week foreign exchange
Nicaragua—1998 Seven month volunteership working with homeless children in Managua. Tangent travels through Central America and Mexico
St. John, USVI—2002 Three week volunteership at the Virgin Island Environmental Research Center
Costa Rica—2005 Two week travel and internship research
Costa Rica—2006 Three month internship with Heliconias Lodge and Rainforest