Rachel Brock

Dedicated forestry professional and Society of American Foresters Candidate Certified Forester (B.S in Forestry, 4.0 GPA) with hands on experience in private landowner consultation, forest management planning, and resource evaluation. Proficient in GIS mapping, interpreting aerial and soil surveys, field navigation, and developing sustainable silvicultural strategies for timber, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration.

Regional Consultant / Forestry Technician at Heritage Habitat and Forestry (2025-01 – Present)

Supervisor: Anthony Pappas (Owner lead/consultant) (330)-419-1769

• Forest Management Plan Writing & Silviculture Application: Develop and write forest management plans by evaluating field data collected to prescribe silvicultural treatments that align with sustainable ecosystem management practices and landowner objectives.
• Forest Inventory Collection – The use of variable and non-variable plot collection to gather technical data including stand composition, age, heights, and overall conditions. (Tcruise, excel).
• GIS Software- The use of ArcGIS Pro to create maps and delineate stand data collected from the field.
• Disease Monitoring – Observing tree health for abnormalities, trunk inspections, fungal fruiting bodies, or inspect the core for galleries.
• Timber Sale Preparation and Appraisals: The use of sampling procedures including executing 100% tally, and/or variable plots to ensure accuracy of total volume and values are calculated. Marking timber and boundaries for the sale. Other information collected includes determining access, and available markets and mills to prepare a bid.
• Forest Carbon Consulting: Assess forest stands to evaluate land eligibility for carbon market programs through data collection of variable plots per cruising specs and utilizing field inventory methods and geospatial tools to estimate qualifying acreage for the carbon program.
• Carbon Project Validation & Verification: Acted as independent validator for forest carbon auditing, cross-referencing on-site field data with the Project Design Document. Validated project additionality and baseline metrics, ensuring field realities aligned with approved carbon methodology frameworks.
• Reforestation Plantings: Supervised large-scale reforestation planting operations on degraded agricultural lands by directing field crews to ensure adherence to master plans. Operations included verifying correct species selection, planting densities, and ongoing audits by use of fixed plots, area calculations and the use of GPS. Supervised site prep before planting, including mowing and ripping.
• Public Relations & Landowner Extension: Served as a consulting forester for the WVU Extension "Meet-Your-Forester" grant program, a join initiative between WVU, USFS and the WVDOF. Bridged the gap between government agencies and private landowners in rural, underserved communities by providing accessible forestry knowledge and technical land management assistance.

Plant Consultant at Popes Nursery (2022-04 – 2024-12)

Average Hours Per Week: 25. Supervisor: Ben Blackwood. No longer viable to contact.

• Plant Maintenance and Health: Conducted regular plant maintenance, including disease identification and pruning.
• Customer Consultation: Advised customers on plant selections and ongoing care, enhancing customer relationships and plant success rates.

Forestry Technician Intern at USDA Forest Service – Cherokee National Forest, TN (2023-06 – 2023-08)

Supervisor: Hollister Hurt, (423)-397-8403

• Forest Stand Examinations & Protocols: Conducted detailed forest stand examinations under USFS protocols to support silviculture project planning. Collection methods included fixed area regeneration plots, variable radius plots, and site index tree coring, and heights.
• Invasive Species Management: Treated 210 acres to control the hemlock woolly adelgid in forest stand plots, contributing to forest health.
• Timber Stand Improvement: Utilized hack-and-squirt methods for stand improvement, enhancing forest structure and productivity.

Undergraduate Student Technician at University of Tennessee's Tree Improvement Program (2022-11 – 2023-01)

Average Hours Per Week: 35. Supervisor: Dr. Scott E. Schlarbaum, (865)-974-7993. May be contacted.

• Data Collection: Collected and analyzed data on survival, diameter at breast height (DBH), and height from experimental plantings to support research.
• Acorn Collection Processing: Processed and evaluated pedigreed acorn collections, contributing to the genetic improvement of the tree species.
• Field Study Maintenance: Maintained field studies and seed orchards, ensuring the integrity and success of ongoing research projects.
• Seedling Evaluation: Processed and evaluated bare-root hardwood seedlings, placing them in experimental designs to assess growth and performance.

Bachelor of Science in Forestry – University of Tennessee – Knoxville (2024-12)

Associate of Science – Chattanooga State Community College (2021-05)