Pacific Southwest Research Station

Research Interests/Duties

Paula joined the Center staff in 1992 as a supervisor and maintenance manager for research sites and now works on growth rates of urban tree species, developing equations to predict growth of municipal trees growing in different climate zones. She also supervises the collection of field data and assists researchers in developing data collection methods. Paula received a Bachelor's degree in English from Sacramento State and studied forestry at the University of Nevada, Reno before joining the ranks of the Forest Service as a timber cruiser, wilderness horseback ranger, recreation technician, and field supervisor. She managed a ranch for six years, where she also continued using her forestry skills by planting over 10,000 trees on the property.