dr. Jaša Saražin

Curriculum vitae

I come from the littoral part of Slovenia, which is frequently disturbed by wildfires and torrential events. For the past 15 years, I have been interested in mitigating these through appropriate infrastructure and technology. I place great emphasis on properly planned and maintained forest infrastructure, as this is one of the key factors in increasing the erosion and fire resistance of forests.

2007-2014

I began studying forestry at the Biotechnical Faculty in 2007, but in 2010 started focusing more intensively on torrential issues, while preparing my bachelor thesis on the runoff regime of the Brut torrent (2011). Between 2011 and 2014, during my master's degree in forestry at the Biotechnical Faculty, a summer school and an Erasmus exchange in Zagreb, I devoted considerable attention to fire protective infrastructure and forest roads. My master's thesis examined fire roads in the ​​South Primorska area (2014).

2014-2021

After completing my studies, I became self-employed as an expert in the field of forestry and also became an operational volunteer firefighter. In 2017, I began working as a researcher at the Department of Wood Science and Technology at the Biotechnical Faculty, where I received my PhD in 2022. During this period, I mainly gained practical experience in the field of erosion and fire protection as a firefighter, forest owner, and farmer. At the Department of Wood Science and Technology, I gained valuable research experience.

2021-

Since 2021 I work at the Slovenian Forestry Institute as a researcher. This position has enabled me to combine all my previous practical experience and knowledge. My professional and research work focuses on forest infrastructure, forest construction, and prevention and preparedness against wildfires. Through various projects, I am involved in the international wildfire management community and coordinate several national projects in this field.