Liene Kukainis brings more than a decade of experience in forestry, conservation, and outdoor education to TreesUpstate. A graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in forestry, Liene has worked across the Southeast in forest ecology, stream restoration, forest inventory, wildland fire, and wildlife & endangered species management. Her professional background includes work with the U.S. Forest Service in Sumter National Forest and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge.
In addition to her field experience, Liene has spent over a dozen years connecting communities to the natural world through outdoor education in the Carolinas. She is passionate about conservation, environmental stewardship, and helping people build meaningful relationships with trees and green spaces throughout the Upstate.