Steven is a natural areas specialist at the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum. His interest in the natural world began in the backyard of his Ann Arbor home turning over rocks with his twin brother and comparing how many creatures his rock held. At age eight, his interest in nature was further supported when his father pointed out the three distinct variations of the leaves of the Sassafras tree. His interests include insect macrophotography and natural wood art/kinetic sculptures, and he loves to share the spirit of the natural world with people using a “free-association” in nature, where one discovery leads to another.

TSN Conference 2026

January 23rd, 2026 (Friday) // 1:50 pm – 2:50 pm // Room 104 // Mowing Woody Invasives at the Botanical Gardens // Dormant season + frozen ground + a big grinding mulching head on an excavator or a skid steer means turning acres of buckthorn into mulch. Is it working? Should you consider it in your fen, floodplain, savanna or prairie? Hear about our experience after several years of work. We can explore several follow-up options including live staking.