Our Staff

Xinyuan (she/her) assists in updating the USDA’s Conservation Buffers Guide based on new research into the planning, design, and management of multifunctional vegetative buffers. Raised in Upstate NY, Xinyuan got her start with the Savanna Institute as an agroforestry apprentice working with chestnut experts in Ohio at Route 9 Cooperative. She has gathered a variety of experiences in tree-based agricultural systems as a Peace Corps volunteer in the tropical climates of Zambia and a Cornell maple technician near her home in Ithaca, New York. Currently, she is working on her Masters through the University of Missouri and joins the Savanna Institute to complete a research project updating a Multi-functional Buffer manual used by farmers and conservation professionals. In her free time, you can find her biking the trails around Central NY or experimenting with new recipes.