Silviculture in the City

Max Piana is a research ecologist and the Visiting Lecturer in Plant Science and Forest Ecology at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Max's research focuses on applied ecology in urban ecosystems and emphasizes multi-disciplinary collaborations with designers, planners, natural resource managers, and community groups. Presently, he leads projects that test and develop novel approaches for urban forest mapping and inventory, urban greening and management strategies, and community engagement through education, participatory science, and workforce training. Max is a co-creator and co-lead of the Urban Silviculture Network, a group of scientists and practitioners collaborating to develop best practices in the inventory and management of natural lands in cities. He is also the Urban Forest Team Lead for the Updated Silvics of North America Project (USNAP), a collaborative effort by the US Forest Service, Canadian Forest Service, and the National Forestry Commission of Mexico to produce a comprehensive reference for tree species of the continent. Prior to the GSD, Max was a scientist in USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. Max is an alum of Yale (MEM, ‘11) and URI and received his PhD in Ecology & Evolution from Rutgers University, where he was forest steward at the Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center.