About 👋

My name is CJ Reilly. I am a graduate student at Cornell University in Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) 🎓, specializing in Forest Ecology and Management 🌲. My work focuses on forest ecosystem processes 🌿 and the vital role of communities — especially youth 👩‍👧‍👦 — in stewarding biodiversity, from microbial networks below ground 🦠 to forest dynamics above 🌳. Through both research and practice 🔬, I collaborate with recreation groups 🚵‍♀️, school districts 🏫, and local residents 🏡 to foster greenspace stewardship 🌱 and promote long-term ecosystem resilience 🌍. Currently on academic leave, I serve as Director of the O’Hara Nature Center 🏞️, where I manage urban community forestry grants 🌳💰 and oversee land management for Irvington Woods Park as the village’s certified arborist 🌿🪓. In this role, I develop environmental education programs 📚, implement New York State Science Standards-aligned field courses for students 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬, and contribute to Harvard Forest’s Schoolyard Ecology Program 🍁. These experiences continue to shape my commitment to bridging ecological research 🔎, community engagement 🤝, and practical conservation efforts 🌎. 📩 Let’s connect: cjr272@cornell.edu