Ann Busche

Background

About Ann Busche

Ann Busche is a program manager and researcher, focusing on ecological restoration and community forestry in developing nations. Over the past 10 years she has worked with a number of NGOs and universities. She has conducted field research in the US, Canada, Mexico and China, and advised program teams in Indonesia, India and Laos. As Program Manager for Panda Mountain, she is developing an ecological restoration program that incorporates the needs of the Wolong NR administration, with the needs of the Tibetan farmers living within the reserve. Ann has expertise in responsible forest management and certification by the Forest Stewardship Council. She was the primary author of the book Sustainable Community Forest Management: A Practical Guide to FSC Group Certification for Smallholder Agroforests (269 pgs, Univ Bookstore Press 2012). The text provides simple advice on how to help smallholder producer groups to develop their own forest enterprises that meet the high standards of FSC. As a field researcher, Ann has lived in remote areas in Mexico and China. She is known for her ability to be systematic and practical, and her ability to lead by example to get the job done -even when she is tired, insect bitten, and covered in mud. In 2007, she survived Hurricane Dean, a category 5 tropical cyclone, and returned the next year with 2 field assistants to finish interviews for her thesis research on community forestry and FSC certification. She was awarded a MS in conservation biology & sustainable development from the Univ. of Wisconsin and earned BS degrees in botany and biology from the Univ. of Washington. Ann lives in Seattle, where she enjoys hiking, yoga, and dancing. Occasionally, she tries to run a 5K with variable success. While traveling nationally and internationally, she takes every opportunity to share a beer with new friends. Ann is always looking for new opportunities to connect with like-minded people around the world.(ann.m.busche@gmail.com)