While I have long appreciated the field of dendrochronology, it was not until the mid-1990s that I became actively involved.  Prior, my geography interests were in biogeography and climatology and thus working with tree-rings allowed me to combine my interests.  My first project involved studying western juniper expansion in my home state of Oregon. Ironically, I have distinct recollections of collecting western juniper firewood while on camping trips in the 1960s and 70s in central Oregon.  Little did I know that two decades later I would have a different appreciation of the value of the tree!  Since then, I have been principally involved with a series of dendroecological projects that have focused on the role of atmospheric CO₂ fertilization affecting radial growth rates of western juniper and ponderosa pine, dendroclimatology projects that have examined spatio-temporal patterns of droughts, and the reconstruction of severe wind events.  I have collected tree-ring data in a variety of places in the American West, and always look forward to my next field adventure.  Each year, I try to fund students to help with these projects, and I am grateful for their help over the years.  My observations over the past decade have led me to believe that tree-ring science is a great sub-discipline for physical geographers, with extensive, relevant, and timely applications that are often interdisciplinary.  In the section on projects, some of these applications are listed.

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