Lauren Marino was a forestry crew member for MSI throughout summer and fall of 2017. A perfect position for her considering her passion for trees! Especially the Ponderosa Pine, which is the focus of most research Lauren performs in the field.

Lauren graduated from Colorado State University with a Natural Resource Management Degree with emphasis in Ecological Restoration and Global Environmental Sustainability. She moved to Durango after hiking the Colorado Trail which starts in Denver and ends up in our lovely town here in Durango. She discovered Mountain Studies Institute after working for MSI's partner organization Colorado Forest Retoration Institute, which is based in Fort Collins, CO.

If she isn't in the field gathering data or in the office crunching data, you'll find Lauren hiking peaks and identifying every possible plant along the way.