Stephen Shoemaker
INVASIVE SPECIES SUPERVISOR
Stephen grew up in the Front Range of Colorado, where he developed a strong interest in ecology and the outdoors. This interest was further developed while working as a horse handler and assisting in the development of a self-sustaining farm in Virginia with his parents.
He attended Eastern Florida State College and the University of Colorado, graduating with a dual-major B.A. in Philosophy and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; his studies were centered on ethical and sustainable interaction with nature and a range of restorative and regenerative practices in damaged ecosystems.
Stephen began his work in ecological restoration through employment by CU Boulder, where he assisted in experimental restoration research on ecological complexity of riparian corridors, and performed related field work in Left Hand Canyon through the Suding Lab under Dr. Katharine Suding. He joined AloTerra in early 2023 as a Maintenance Supervisor and Invasive Species Specialist, where he assisted in the development and implementation of weed management plans, and led crews on projects throughout the Front Range and Rocky Mountain regions of Colorado.
He is currently the manager of AloTerra’s Adaptive Management Program. Stephen has also performed duties both as a crew member and crew leader involving erosion control, willow and cottonwood harvesting and installation, post-dam removal stream bank restoration involving soil lifts and soil grading in Lake George, CO, and experimental gully restoration techniques in the St. Vrain watershed through CU Boulder, as well as in Parque Encuentro, Chiapas, Mexico during a company retreat in early 2024.
He has led invasive species management projects within Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, and assisted in the development of adaptive management plans for a range of urban and non-urban sites. Stephen is a licensed Qualified Supervisor in the states of Colorado and Wyoming for weed management and chemical application.
