As a "professional tree hugger," Anne Middleton loves trees, but some, like eucalyptus, cause immense harm to ecosystems–fueling California's devastating wildfires. By removing these invasive species and replanting native ones, we can restore ecosystem balance and protect our homes. www.wildcoast.org www.linkedin.com/in/aemiddleton @amiddlet #ecosystemrestoration #preventwildfires #saveyourneighborhood #TEDxSanDiego @Women #TEDx #speaker Originally from Montana, Anne moved to San Diego in 2014 from Cameroon, where she worked for Taylor Guitars on sustainable ebony wood procurement for guitar manufacturing. Anne served as Executive Director at ECOLIFE Conservation, building fuel-efficient stoves in rural Mexico and aquaponics systems in San Diego. She also worked for the Environmental Investigation Agency in DC, investigating international wildlife crime. EIA’s work in Madagascar led to the first criminal case for the amended Lacey Act, a ban on trade in illegal wood. Anne is currently the Associate Director at WILDCOAST, a nonprofit organization that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Oberlin College and a Master's Degree of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) from the Bren School at UC-Santa Barbara. She sings and plays bass and guitar, and sits on the board at Project [BLANK] and the Escondido Creek Conservancy. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx