Brad Davis is a second year master’s student at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, focusing on Ecosystem Science and Management and Geospatial Data Science. Brad served as an intelligence analyst in the United States Air Force and as a civilian for over 19 years but always had a love for the outdoors and natural areas wherever his work took him. While earning his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Virginia in 2023, he developed a passion for forest conservation and is seeking that career as his new mission.

TSN Conference 2026

January 23rd, 2026 (Friday) // 11:20 am – 11:45 am // Room 103 // Measuring What Matters: A Rapid Assessment Toolkit for Prioritizing Areas for Conservation // Many universities hold undeveloped lands that are critical to maintaining biodiversity in increasingly urbanized landscapes. These fragmented natural areas face threats from climate change, invasive species, pollution, and reduced species diversity. The University of Michigan recognizes both the opportunity and responsibility to be a leader in stewarding its natural areas for ecological and community benefit. To support this goal, we developed a suite of field and GIS metrics for scoring and ranking the ecological integrity of natural areas. The results of our project will enable the University of Michigan to integrate existing natural areas into its sustainability goals and educational experiences. The framework we present can be applied to a wide variety of institutions and landscapes for conservation planning.