Reed Benkendorf
AIM Terrestrial Crew Lead at Southwest Conservation Corps- Claim this Profile
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R Full professional proficiency
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Python Professional working proficiency
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SQL Professional working proficiency
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bash Professional working proficiency
Topline Score
Bio
Credentials
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Building Models for GIS Analysis Using ArcGIS
EsriJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Creating and Sharing GIS content using ArcGIS online
EsriJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Data Visualization with ggplot2
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Displaying Raster Data in ArcGIS
EsriJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Distance Analysis Using ArcGIS
EsriJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Importing & Cleaning Data in R: Case Studies
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Intermediate Python
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Introduction to Image Classification
EsriJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Introduction to Importing Data in R
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Introduction to R
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Performing Supervised Pixel-Based Image Classification
EsriJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Performing Unsupervised Pixel-Based Image Classification
EsriJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Spatial Analysis with sf and raster in r
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Spatial Statistics in R
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024 -
Visualizing Geospatial Data in R
DataCampJan, 2020- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Southwest Conservation Corps
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United States
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Environmental Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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AIM Terrestrial Crew Lead
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Apr 2022 - Present
- Crew lead for terrestrial AIM- writing two R packages, one field based based on movement ecology for automating plot tracking, rejection, direction writing, and collecting other field data such as ESD's, Soil Map Units, precipitation. Another for 5 year analysis of an AIM sampling design. - Crew lead for terrestrial AIM- writing two R packages, one field based based on movement ecology for automating plot tracking, rejection, direction writing, and collecting other field data such as ESD's, Soil Map Units, precipitation. Another for 5 year analysis of an AIM sampling design.
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Northwestern University
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Teaching Assistant (R Data Science, PBC 470/ENVR SCI 390)
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Jan 2022 - May 2022
- Held office hours twice weekly to help students with assignments, and research projects.- Attended classes and labs to help students solve problems- Responded to student emails on a variety of topics to help them solve problems.- Graded assignments- Developed and delivered two lectures and a lab on Spatial Data Science - Held office hours twice weekly to help students with assignments, and research projects.- Attended classes and labs to help students solve problems- Responded to student emails on a variety of topics to help them solve problems.- Graded assignments- Developed and delivered two lectures and a lab on Spatial Data Science
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Field Botanist (Lead)
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Jun 2021 - Sep 2021
• Sampled ca 30 plots across Montana as a contractor to the EPA implementing the NWCA protocol. • Sampled ca 30 plots across Montana as a contractor to the EPA implementing the NWCA protocol.
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Northwestern University
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Teaching Assistant (R Data Science, PBC 470/ENVR SCI 390)
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Feb 2021 - Mar 2021
• Held office hours 3-4 times a week to assist students with homework and research projects. • Attended class and assisted students with problems during interactive assignments. • Wrote an R script to automate calculating student attendance from Zoom. • Responded to student emails with advice and scripts as requested. • Wrote R scripts to tally and estimate total emails sent to help students and automate time sheets. • Held office hours 3-4 times a week to assist students with homework and research projects. • Attended class and assisted students with problems during interactive assignments. • Wrote an R script to automate calculating student attendance from Zoom. • Responded to student emails with advice and scripts as requested. • Wrote R scripts to tally and estimate total emails sent to help students and automate time sheets.
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Chicago Botanic Garden
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United States
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Zoos and Botanical Gardens
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300 - 400 Employee
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Resource Research Assistant
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Jan 2020 - Mar 2020
• Isolated DNA from Oenothera cespitosa for RADseq analysis • Isolated DNA from American Elm for testing of microsatellites to infer paternity and maternity in progeny for Elm restoration projects in collaboration with the USFS Northern Research Station. • Work cancelled due to COVID-19. • Isolated DNA from Oenothera cespitosa for RADseq analysis • Isolated DNA from American Elm for testing of microsatellites to infer paternity and maternity in progeny for Elm restoration projects in collaboration with the USFS Northern Research Station. • Work cancelled due to COVID-19.
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Montana Natural Heritage Program
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United States
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Environmental Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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AIM Aquatic Crew Lead/Botanist
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Apr 2019 - Sep 2019
• QC’ed over 400 observations of state rare and under review species before admission to the programs biotic inventory program- and interfaced with agency staff to correct identifications• Wrote over 325 taxonomic monographs on the rare plants, and range plants of the state utilizing review of thousands of specimens, and hundreds of published sources• Taught field botany courses to seasonal workers and helped co-teach terrestrial AIM sampling• Managed two technicians on 8-day hitches across BLM’s rugged Idaho Falls, & Coure D'alene district to sample Aquatic AIM plots and collect MIM vegetation data.
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The Great Basin Institute
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United States
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Environmental Services
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100 - 200 Employee
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Roving Ecological Monitoring Crew Lead/Botanist
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Feb 2018 - Oct 2018
• Worked with field crews to acquire data on plots using the Assessment, Inventory, & Monitoring(AIM) method as a technician or lead when crews had employees which were indisposed.• Field tasks included: species inventory, soil pedon description, verifying Ecological Site Descriptions (ESD’s), reading line-intercept and LPI, hitch planning, and data quality checks.• Assisted crews in the identification of over 575 unknown plant specimens from across the Great Basin and Mojave Desert Floristic Provinces through review of specimens, photos, and notes, • Developed training materials pertaining to the general use of dichotomous keys. Developed materials which illustrated the key informative characters of 11 clades of vascular plants. –• Developed and delivered botany trainings to seasonal technicians.
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Chicago Botanic Garden
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United States
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Zoos and Botanical Gardens
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300 - 400 Employee
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Botanist
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Mar 2017 - Jan 2018
• Floristic documentation and fine resolution mapping of our field office; in a variety of habitats from Hot Desert, Serpentine, Soft and Hard Chaparral, Coastal Prairie and Redwood Forest.• Monitored Federally listed T&E plants San Benito Evening Primrose (Camissonia benitense), San Joaquin Woolly-Threads (Monolopia congdonii), and California Jewelflower• Surveyed and mapped populations of an additional ca. 30 rare plants species which have designated CNPS rarity status and are being assessed for CA state conservation categorization. Most focal species were locally rare, but abundant, edaphic endemics. • Collected and cleaned, to >95% purity, over 75 seed lots for Seeds of Success program and restoration.• Surveyed newly acquired BLM land designated as National Monument for rare plants and wrote brief reports on plants found (Elymus californicus, Piperia michaelii) and those with potential habitat on site (10 taxa treated in ecological descriptions). I also provided a review on taxonomic inconsistencies between state and federal agencies and implications for management.
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Botanist
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May 2017 - Jul 2017
• Collected tissue and seeds of Oenothera californica ssp. californica and O. c. ssp. avita along maternal lines for the dissertation of a Ph.D candidate in the graduate program. Seed collected from six populations and several hundred individuals.
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Phytochemist
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Oct 2016 - Feb 2017
• Extracted plant oleoresins for further purification using winterization and distillation• Winterized oleoresins to remove lipids which interfere with downstream high-throughput processing• Isolated whole plant volatile profiles using steam distillation, and distillation under reduced pressure• Partitioned classes of isoprene derived compounds using fractional distillation• Oversaw day to day functions and quality assurance• Developed methods to increase efficiency of extraction, winterization, distillation
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Chicago Botanic Garden
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United States
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Zoos and Botanical Gardens
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300 - 400 Employee
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Botanist
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May 2016 - Sep 2016
• Surveyed extensively for federally listed (threatened), and previously believed extinct, Slickspot-peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum). I also surveyed for BLM sensitive Linanthus glabrum• Wrote dichotomous keys for over 150 taxa of plants in 12 species-rich Intermountain clades.• Identified plant specimens that techs collected in litigation induced riparian and rangeland monitoring plots, and assisted crews by reading at their species rich plots. • Surveyed extensively for federally listed (threatened), and previously believed extinct, Slickspot-peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum). I also surveyed for BLM sensitive Linanthus glabrum• Wrote dichotomous keys for over 150 taxa of plants in 12 species-rich Intermountain clades.• Identified plant specimens that techs collected in litigation induced riparian and rangeland monitoring plots, and assisted crews by reading at their species rich plots.
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Integrity Labs LLC
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United States
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1 - 100 Employee
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Analytical Chemist
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Sep 2015 - Apr 2016
• Prepared plant samples for quantitative GC-FID analysis, and analyze data• Performed microscopic analysis of plant matter to check for foreign contaminants• Developed methods for quantitative GC and HPLC analysis of a number of mono-, sesqui-, and di-terpenes in a variety of matrices.• Performed routine maintenance on instruments • Prepared plant samples for quantitative GC-FID analysis, and analyze data• Performed microscopic analysis of plant matter to check for foreign contaminants• Developed methods for quantitative GC and HPLC analysis of a number of mono-, sesqui-, and di-terpenes in a variety of matrices.• Performed routine maintenance on instruments
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Botanist
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Apr 2015 - Sep 2015
• Worked independently to collect over 35 seed lots for the Seeds of Success Program and habitat restoration in a variety of habitats from Costal Prairie, through Sage-steppe, to Palouse Prairie.• I carried out quantitative demographic monitoring of the Federally listed T & E plants, Whited's Milkvetch (Astragalus sinuatis), with the University of Washington’s Rare Care Program, and Spalding's catchfly (Silene spaldingii).• Surveyed for [former] State Plant of Concern Gray Cryptantha (Cryptantha leucophea) on Department of Defense Lands with the Rare Care Program, and Nicotiana rustica on BLM land.
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Integrity Labs LLC
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United States
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1 - 100 Employee
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Analytical Chemist
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Jan 2015 - Apr 2015
• Prepared plant samples for quantitative GC-FID analysis, and analyze data• Performed microscopic analysis of plant matter to check for foreign contaminants• Developed methods for quantitative GC and HPLC analysis of a number of mono-, sesqui-, and di-terpenes in a variety of matrices.• Performed routine maintenance on instruments • Prepared plant samples for quantitative GC-FID analysis, and analyze data• Performed microscopic analysis of plant matter to check for foreign contaminants• Developed methods for quantitative GC and HPLC analysis of a number of mono-, sesqui-, and di-terpenes in a variety of matrices.• Performed routine maintenance on instruments
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Washington State Department of Transportation
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United States
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Government Administration
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700 & Above Employee
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Wetlands Plant Ecologist
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Jun 2014 - Aug 2014
• Acquired data regarding the status of restored and enhanced wetlands using methods such as Line intercept, Line Point Intercept, and Unequal Belt transects and analyzed data to ensure plots had met legally binding restoration requirements.• Assisted in experimental design and data analysis to ensure data had adequate power to meet standards included in restoration requirements• Identified challenging specimens of vascular plants using dichotomous keys, mostly Graminoids • Acquired data regarding the status of restored and enhanced wetlands using methods such as Line intercept, Line Point Intercept, and Unequal Belt transects and analyzed data to ensure plots had met legally binding restoration requirements.• Assisted in experimental design and data analysis to ensure data had adequate power to meet standards included in restoration requirements• Identified challenging specimens of vascular plants using dichotomous keys, mostly Graminoids
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Education
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2019 - 2021
Northwestern University
Master's degree, Plant Biology and Conservation -
2010 - 2014
The Evergreen State College
Bachelor's degree, Plant Biology & Biochemistry -
2011 - 2012
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Integrative Biology, A
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