Team of the Quarter

The Soil and Plant Science Division would like to recognize the Vegetation Protocols Task Force as the Team of the Quarter for their substantive and successful efforts to establish national minimum data standards for field vegetation inventory on all land types.

In their nominators’ words:

“The Vegetation Protocols Task force was charged with drafting minimum data standards for field vegetation inventory and NASIS data entry. The team of 30 field scientists from each region, with expertise in forest, range, pasture, crop, wetland, and urban landscapes, met weekly for six months and presented their recommendations at the recent ES Focus Team meeting. The team leader, Matt Duvall, moderated these lively meetings with great skill and patience. In the end, the team united around a very robust framework of minimum vegetation data standards, and they outlined the next steps needed to successfully implement the new standards. This task force successfully completed a difficult task, on time, and with national implications. This was such an important step for ecological inventory.”

Please join us in congratulating Matt Duvall, Phil Barber, Nels Barrett, William Byrum, Tim Albritton, Mathew Cocking, Christopher Davis, Jack Ferrara, Peyton Fralick, Luis Garcia, Kevin Godsey, Shane Green, Francine Lheritier, Kendra Moseley, George Otto, Marji Patz, Sarah Quistberg, Nathan Roe, Greg Schmidt, Stephanie Shoemaker, Brenda Simpson, Blaine Spellman, Dean Stacy, Charles Stemmans, Jason Stevens, Tammy Swihart, Curtis Talbot, Miles Tolbert, Kirt Walstad!

2024 National Cooperative Soil Survey Awardees

In 1999, the Soil Survey Division (now the Soil and Plant Science Division) created two awards to recognize scientists involved in the Soil Survey Program. In 2005, the NCSS Cooperator Achievement award was added. In 2019, the criteria for two awards, the NCSS Scientist of the Year and the NCSS Career Achievement awards, were expanded to include both technical soil and ecological site services and project soil and ecological site survey work. Nominations for awards are accepted from any individual, agency, or group in the NCSS.