Jonathan Bransfield
Jonathan Bransfield has owned and operated Bransfield Tree Company for 22 years, caring for trees across the Metrowest Boston area in Massachusetts. He acts as an industry representative on the HSC, where he collaborates with member labs to experiment with practical deployment and assessment of jumping worm biocontrols in real-world settings. Bransfield is also involved in regional jumping worm education and outreach, communicating about jumping worms and the HSC to residential clients, local conservation organizations, and green industry colleagues.
Jumping worms first came onto Bransfield’s radar in 2021, after attending a UMass Extension webinar on the subject. Once he knew how to look for them, he began noticing jumping worm activity across his service area and in nearby forests, and was alarmed at the signs of tree stress that frequently correlated with the worms’ presence. Bransfield has a deep love for New England forests, and his role in the HSC gives him the opportunity to actively protect these ecosystems. When not planting trees, observing worms, or building out his native tree nursery, Bransfield can be found creating sculptures from living trees, and heading out for jaunty 30+ mile hikes among the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
