Neal Maker grew up in Calais, Vermont, exploring the same family woodlot where he now lives with his wife and three children. He leads Pekin Branch Forestry’s Vermont office, and also works as a research forester with the Forest Biometrics Research Institute. Locally, he serves as Chair of the Calais Conservation Commission and as the town Tree Warden.
Neal is a Vermont Licensed Forester, an SAF Certified Forester, and one of the nation’s first Audubon-endorsed Foresters for the Birds. He holds a master’s degree in Forest Resource Management from SUNY–ESF in Syracuse, a professional certificate in Data Science from HarvardX, and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Sustainable Forestry from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.
An avid naturalist, Neal also develops software tools for forest growth simulation, quantitative silviculture, and conservation planning. His work blends field experience, research, and technology to create new ways of understanding and managing forests.