Specialty

Ecological restoration in wetlands and post-flood riparian areas; monitoring long-term results of volunteer restoration projects; erosion control with native species in Ecuadorian cloud forest.

Research Interests

Restoration of riparian ecology; flood recovery.

Bio

Laura Backus is an ecologist and wetland scientist with experience in restoration, conservation, and transportation projects including: 

• Planning and conducting restoration projects in riparian, wetland, plains, and mountain ecological communities, planting crew oversight, post-project monitoring.
• Stream and riparian condition surveys including documentation of conditions one and two years after the 2013 flood at properties along Boulder, Left Hand, and St. Vrain Creeks.
• Baseline ecological surveys.
• Wetland delineation, functional analysis, permitting, conceptual mitigation design.
• Rare plant surveys; and weed mapping.