Varun Shirhatti is part of SFEI's Resilient Landscapes program, where he supports historical ecology and urban nature projects. Varun completed a BS and MS in Earth Systems at Stanford University, with a focus on the intersection of different approaches to environmental conservation and restoration. His Master's thesis examined the effect of changing levels of water availability on the growth of different species of willow trees, with the goal of informing restoration efforts connected to a planned dam removal at Stanford's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. His prior experience includes research in both the ecological and social sciences and work at a land trust in central Oregon.