Michael Schmahl

Forest Restoration Technician

Michael grew up in Indianapolis, IN and has always been fascinated by the natural world, especially animals. In 3rd grade for a school project he wrote “when I grow up I want to be a conservationist,” probably inspired to do so from watching Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin nature shows. Growing up in Indiana, his first introduction to invasive plants was managing bush honeysuckle and autumn olive with his Boy Scout troop. He earned a B.S. in Professional Sales and Marketing from Indiana University in 2018, then worked a variety of jobs including English teacher in Thailand, mailing station clerk, substitute teacher, and election technician. Michael finally transitioned to conservation work in 2021, participating in a season of backcountry trail construction in the Adirondack Mountains with the Student Conservation Association. Since then he has committed to conserving and restoring natural spaces for the benefit of everyone, both human and non-human. In his free time, Michael enjoys puttering in the backyard, riding bicycles, volunteering with local organizations, and adventuring with his girlfriend, Morgan, and hound dog, Luna. Among his favorite trees are sycamores and longleaf pines, among his favorite flowers are goldenrods and yarrow.