Barbara Sherwood

Barbara Sherwood is currently a Restoration Ecologist for the Forest Preserve District of Will County in northeastern Illinois. In her prior career she worked in a biological repository near Washington, D.C. She relocated to the Midwest to pursue a master’s degree in zoology through Miami University & Brookfield Zoo. This education, focusing on ecological stewardship and community engagement, led her to dual roles in natural resources management and volunteer coordination.

​Barbara now has a decade of prescribed fire experience, burning with crews for various Forest Preserve Districts in the Chicagoland Region. As a former crew leader and crew boss, she provides training for burn break installation, ignition techniques, and fire suppression. Barbara appreciates the value of effective

communication in both coordinating personnel and informing the public of prescribed fire activities. She believes that through collaboration and community buy-in we will be able to effectively grow the prescribed fire program throughout the state and achieve continual protections and improvements to our Midwest landscapes.
 
Barbara enjoys the great outdoors for both work and recreation. When indoors she prefers competing in dart tournaments or relaxing with her family and cats.