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About Us

AlpineEco is a full service ecological consulting firm focused on projects involving wetland, vegetation, and wildlife studies. We have offices in both Denver and Buena Vista, Colorado and are owned and operated by Andy Herb who founded the company in 2007.

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Andy Herb

Andy has worked as an ecologist in the Rocky Mountain Region, USA since 1999. His work involves most aspects of field ecology, with an emphasis on wetland assessment and the design and implementation of wetland restoration projects. He is an adjunct scientist at Charles Sturt University in Australia and a long-standing and active member of the Society of Wetland Scientists, which is an international organization committed to promoting best practices in wetland research, education, conservation, preservation, restoration, and management. He is also the founder of SWS’s Wetland Restoration Section, which brings together professionals from around the world to share information on wetland restoration. His commitment to science and the environment, combined with his practical approach to problem-solving and depth of applied restoration work results in creative and cost-effective projects that strive to restore the processes that sustain healthy ecosystems.

Recent Publications:

  • Herb, A. M., & Finlayson, M. (2023). Investing in wetland restoration: Practical guidance and looking ahead. In Ramsar Wetlands: Values, Assessment, Management (pp. 377-415). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817803-4.00004-8

  • Gell, P. A., Davidson, N. C., Finlayson, M., & Herb, A. M. et al. (2023). Wetlands and future change—Implications and opportunities with the Ramsar Convention. In Ramsar Wetlands: Values, Assessment, Management (pp. 555-561). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817803-4.00017-6

Recent Presentations:​

  • The FIT Principle: Guidance on the Practice of Wetland Restoration. Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in Taipei, Taiwan. 2024.

  • Wetland Restoration: Practical Guidance for Design and Implementation. Invited speaker for a seminar for the Institute for Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry in Beijing, China. 2024.

  • Rehabilitation of Mail Creek at Two Creeks Natural Area: Another Step Toward Improving Ecological Function in the City of Fort Collins, Colorado USA. Guest lecture for the Restoration Case Studies Class in the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. 2023 and 2024.

  • Commercial Plant Production for Wetland Restoration: Nurturing the Seeds of Collaboration for Healthier Wetlands. Invited speaker at the Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in Spokane, Washington, USA. 2023.

  • Problem Wetland Delineations. Workshop for Summit County staff. Held in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA. 2023.

  • Plant Identification and Vegetation Assessment. Two-day workshop given to Colorado Department of Transportation biologists. Held in Buena Vista, Colorado, USA. 2023.

  • Designing for Disturbance in River Restoration Workshop. Co-presenter at the Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference in Avon, Colorado, USA. 2022.

  • Practical Approaches to Improve Wetland Restoration Site Monitoring and Project Outcomes. Invited speaker at the Joint Aquatic Sciences Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. 2022.

  • The FIT Principle: Fundamentals for the Practice of Wetland Restoration. Invited speaker for the Sydney Wetland Institute webinar series, 2021; and the Society of Wetland Scientists Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA. 2022.

  • Advancing Wetland Restoration at Ramsar Sites and Beyond: Guidance for Practitioners. 11th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, virtual meeting. 2021.

  • Wetland Restoration Techniques and Ethical Challenges: Case Studies From the Rocky Mountains, USA. Invited speaker at the Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference, virtual meeting, 2021; and invited speaker at Institute for Wetland Research of the Chinese Academy of Forestry in Beijing, virtual meeting. 2021.

  • Floodplain Restoration: Being More Like Elephants - Making Room and Making it Messy! Society of Wetland Scientists Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA. 2019.

  • Is There a Soil Sampling and Analysis Approach That Practitioners and Policy Makers Can Use to Improve Soil Development in Restored Wetlands? Invited speaker for the Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in Denver, Colorado, USA. 2018.

  • Wetland Restoration in the Rocky Mountains, USA: Tips for Practitioners. Invited online seminar for the Society of Wetland Scientists Webinar Series. 2017.

  • Wetland Restoration in the Rocky Mountains, USA. Invited Speaker at the Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2017.

  • Essentials of Successful Revegetation: A Discussion. Invited speaker at International Erosion Control Association Mtn. States Conference in Denver, Colorado, USA. 2016.

  • Successful Wetland Restoration Requires Both Research and Practice, But How Do We Get Both? Invited Speaker at the Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. 2016.

  • Wetland Restoration. Invited Guest Lecture at Colorado State University Restoration Ecology class in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. 2015.

  • Developing a Professional Identity in the Private Sector: More than Just Wetland Science. Invited Speaker at the Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. 2015.

  • Wetland Restoration: Lessons from the Field. High Altitude Revegetation and Society of Ecological Restoration Rocky Mountain Chapter Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. 2015.

  • The Private Sector: Necessary Skills for Consulting in Wetland Science. Invited Speaker at the Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. 2013.

  • Clear Creek: Restoring an Urban Floodplain and Its Wetlands. Presented to Latin American Delegates, Institute of International Education in Denver, Colorado, USA. 2010.

  • Restoration and Revegetation of Gordon Creek and Its Floodplain. High Altitude Revegetation Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. 2010.

  • Protected South Korean Frogs: Survey Results and Ecosystem Management Implications at Kunsan Air Base. Ecological Society of America Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA and The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. in Monterey, California, USA 2009.

  • Restoring a Montane Stream and Its Wetlands. Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference in Sacramento, California, USA. 2007.

  • Wetland Mitigation: The Things You Should Know. The Wildlife Society, Colorado Chapter Annual Conference in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA. 2007.

  • Integrating Ecology and Engineering. Presented to URS Corporation staff in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. 2005.

  • Wetland Ecology and Consulting. University of Colorado Environmental Sciences Graduate Seminar in Denver, Colorado, USA. 2002.

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