Jeb Barzen

Degrees:

B.S. Wildlife Biology, University of Minnesota, March 1982

M.S. Biology, University of North Dakota, December 1989

Jeb Barzen directed the Field Ecology Department at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) for over 28 years. Since leaving ICF he has continued to focus upon advancing ecosystem restoration, especially on privately owned lands. The primary projects of focus include ecosystem restoration of habitats that cranes depend upon, the long-term study of both ecosystems and individual species, and how we can better engage people in the conservation of ecosystems worldwide. Cranes often depend upon productive ecosystems which are maintained by variations in the abiotic drivers that these ecosystems depend upon. Fire is one such driver. Through implementation of over 700 prescribed burns in three countries (Russia, U.S. and Vietnam) Jeb has worked with a wide range of ecosystems, fuels and weather. This broad background has informed the basic art and science of managing fire-adapted ecosystems and forms the foundation of teaching fire ecology and prescribed burning. As a critical conservation tool, however, our capacity to implement prescribed burning has not kept pace with the decline of fire-adapted ecosystems due the lack of fire. This course is thus designed to not only train new practitioners in how to use fire safely and effectively, but also to advance conservation concomitantly with implementing training.