John grew up in Gainesville, hunting shark teeth in creeks, camping and fishing with his family. John is a hydrogeologist, semi-retired from the environmental consulting field. He is interested in maintaining a healthy ecosystem in Florida – and is active in controlling invasive species (via the North Central Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area) and using prescribed fire to manage land (via the NFPBA). He joined the NFPBA in 2019, has received his Certified Prescribed Burn Manager certification, and is assisting landowners to conduct prescribed burns on their property. John enjoys learning new things – including fire weather, fire behavior, and smoke management. Let’s not forget about smoke.