Josh Atwood

Natural Resources Science
vita

Josh grew up in Maine and was fortunate to have a family that valued spending time outdoors. Camping and canoeing in the northern Maine woods led to an interest in the environment, and when he attended Bowdoin College Josh chose to major in Biology and Environmental Studies. In his junior year Josh studied abroad in New Zealand and completed a field study of vegetative succession on landslide slopes, sparking an interest in both plants and travel. After graduating in 2004, Josh led community service trips for high school students in Hawaii and Alaska, and later led hiking trips in Hawaii, Yellowstone, and the Tetons. In 2005 Josh completed a term as an Americorps volunteer with the Maine Coastal Program at the State Planning Office, where he was fortunate to be able to write a children's book on watershed ecology. Josh incorporated "The Watershed Journey of Linus Loon" into a curriculum program and was later awarded the New England Water Environment Association's Public Educator of the Year award. Leaving state government, Josh taught ecology at schools in Switzerland and the Florida Keys before deciding to return to graduate school. Josh's interests inlcude invasive plants, plant ecology, and environmental education. He is working with Dr. Laura Meyerson in URI's Department of Natural Resources Science, studying rapid evolution of competitive ability in invasive plants. In his spare time Josh is a hiker, a writer, a kayaker, and an occasional skydiver. Feel free to contact Josh at josh.atwood@gmail.com.