The RED Lab was founded in 2003 as part of the “Donald Currey Paleoenvironmental Research Group” which also includes the lab affiliated with the Garrett Herbarium and the Nicoll Geomorphology Laboratory. Renovations to create the RED Lab began fall 2003, with final completion occurring during the spring semester of 2004. Research in the RED Lab focuses on reconstructions of past environments with a strong focus on studies that contain possible management applications. These projects include reconstructions of fire and vegetation regimes from ecologically sensitive areas, studying past insect outbreaks in the mountain west, restoration and preservation of water resources, and human paleoecology.