Steven DiFalco
GIS and Land Data Manger
Scenic Hudson
Biography
As the GIS and Land Data Manager at Scenic Hudson, I administer GIS and Salesforce-based land records. I assist our 35 users on using ArcGIS products for all cartographic and field data colleciton needs. I completed my master’s degree in Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut, where I studied the human dimensions of exurban utility vegetation management. My research project involved a mail survey to residents of Connecticut, to assess public perceptions and opinions towards tree management. I integrated spatial analysis techniques to evaluate how attitudes vary across the landscape at different scales.
For five years, I worked as a natural resource specialist to restore native ecosystems through invasive plant management. I focused on restoring forests and fields to their native composition, by collecting and propagating native plants to establish a diverse assemblage of species. I am interested in the way exotic invasive species affect local ecosystems, and best management practices to mitigate the impacts of invasive species. Restoring and maintaining native plant populations is important for helping provide habitat for our native pollinators, which are an overlooked aspect of our ecosystem.
Interview with Naturally@UConn
Interests
- Cartography
- Land conservation
- Spatial analysis
- Human-environmental interactions
- Invasive species
- Habitat restoration
Education
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MS in Natural Resources, 2020
University of Connecticut
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BS in Environmental Biology, 2013
State University of New York at New Paltz
