Faces of Forestry is an initiative of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to highlight people doing great work to enhance our forests throughout British Columbia. This month, we feature Thomas Sullivan, Director and Research Scientist for the Applied Mammal Research Institute in Summerland, B.C.
From a young age, Thomas had a deep passion for exploring forests and connecting with wildlife. Over time, this love evolved into a career, leading to new opportunities in the field.
He attended the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he earned both his Master of Science and PhD degrees in Zoology and focused his thesis on small mammals in forested environments. After completing his studies, he worked as an independent consultant for 12 years.
In 1990, Thomas returned to his roots, teaching at the UBC Faculty of Forestry in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences and joint appointment in the Faculty of Forestry and Land and Food Systems (formerly Agricultural Sciences). Upon his retirement in 2016, he was honoured with the title of Professor Emeritus for his distinguished service.
“What I enjoyed the most about teaching was taking students on field trips to several of our study areas,” he shared. “Class discussions every week were also a major delight when on campus.”
As the current Director and Research Scientist for the Applied Mammal Research Institute, Thomas’ responsibilities include procuring contracts for scientific studies of forest-wildlife interactions and conservation, conducting field research, data analysis, and synthesis into reports and manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.
In this role, he has collaborated with organizations such as the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) and FESBC.
“FESBC and HCTF collaborated to fund wildlife research projects, and we have been fortunate in receiving several grants over the last many years,” he noted. “One of the most significant projects that was funded by FESBC, in partnership with HCTF, was the conservation of woody debris piles from materials left after forest harvesting.”
These piles provided food and cover for a wide variety of wildlife, particularly small mammal prey species, small mustelids like marten and weasels, and larger mammals such as mule deer and bears seeking shelter, especially during the winter.
“Although sometimes at odds with forestry, conservation of debris piles away from human habitation, essentially in the backcountry, has not contributed to wildfires. There is no scientific evidence that piles are a fire hazard if placed in strategic locations away from people, drought-stricken areas, and main forestry roads,” he explained, adding that forest and wildlife conservation are key to many aspects of our common future, whether in environmental or economic sustainability.
For him, forestry goes beyond harvesting trees and processing additional sources of wood fibre. “The ecological, social, Indigenous, and educational aspects of forests are also very important,” he added.
In addition, Thomas believes that forests are a major contributor to reducing greenhouse gases through carbon sequestration.
“Forests may yet be the saving grace for helping us adapt to climate change. The current uncertainty in world events should be a blatant wake-up call to Canadians to conserve and promote our natural resources in a prudent manner.”
Thank you, Thomas, for your passion and ongoing contributions to wildlife conservation and forest management!