Archives: Bios

M.S. Biology, San Francisco State University, Romberg Tiburon Center, 2016
B.A. Environmental Studies and Ethnic Studies (double major), Mills College, 2004

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Senior Ecologist, 2005–present
• BMP Ecosciences: Botanist, 2003-2005
• Mills College and CSU Stanislaus: Biological Research Assistant, 2003

Cassie Pinnell, VNLC’s Arcata Office Lead/Senior Ecologist, holds an MS in Biology from SF State University and has been working as a professional ecologist since 2005, with over four years as Executive Director of a watershed restoration non-profit in Humboldt County. Her work has included managing large-scale restoration projects, and conducting statewide surveys for special-status plant and wildlife species, using a variety of survey techniques in both wetland and upland environments. She has experience in assessing the effectiveness of wetland, intertidal, and upland restoration projects, and using GIS and statistical software to determine community-level responses to habitat modification and restoration. Ms. Pinnell has also worked on large-scale species distribution assessments and habitat analyses to supplement conservation planning in California.

Ms. Pinnell has managed the preparation of multiple regulatory permitting applications, including Sections 404, 401, 1602, and a variety of other regulatory agencies. She also has decades of experience preparing technical documents to support CEQA and has experience preparing Project-Specific Analyses (PSAs) for the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP). She is trained and experienced in conducting wetland delineations, rare plant surveys, and special-status wildlife surveys throughout California. Her graduate research included six years of implementing and assessing the effectiveness of eelgrass restoration efforts in the San Francisco Bay and she has since been serving as the project manager and lead ecologist for large-scale intertidal and tidal restoration efforts in the San Francisco Bay. In addition to her work as an ecologist, her work as the Executive Director of the Mattole Restoration Council included extensive experience creating and maintaining working partnerships with public agencies, non-profits, universities, landowners, stakeholders, and technical advisory committees to best design, permit, and implement effective restoration and conservation projects, totaling approximately $1 million annually.

M.S. Range Management (with Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Information, Science, and Technology), University of California, Berkeley, 2016
B.S. Conservation and Resource Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 2010

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Senior Ecologist, 2018–present
• Point Reyes National Seashore: Range Management Specialist, 2016-2018
• University of Califronia, Berkeley: Graduate Student Researcher, 2014-2016
• Condor Country Consulting, Inc.: Staff Biologist, 2013-2014
• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Staff Ecologist and GIS Analyst, 2009-2013
• East Bay Regional Park District: Wildland Vegetation Intern, 2014, 2015
• Yosemite National Park: Backcountry Botany Technician, 2011, 2012

Ms. Foss is an ecologist with a robust understanding of science-based adaptive land management, field survey protocols, and ecological principles. Ms. Foss is an ecologist with a robust understanding of science-based adaptive land management, field survey protocols, and ecological principles. A representation of the diversity of projects Ms. Foss has managed include: a water quality rangeland improvement grant; grassland mapping and rapid assessment; riparian restoration; native plant nursery operation and volunteer programs; rare plant population modelling; CEQA and NEPA compliance; and biological preserve monitoring. As a project manager, she has collaborated with agency partners, academic collaborators, private ranching operations, non-profit land trusts, environmental advocacy groups and volunteers. She has established positive and productive working relationships with contractors and sub-contractors in construction, biological consulting, and invasive plant management companies. She is active in local conservation groups and is currently on the Board of Directors for the California-Pacific Section of the Society for Rangeland Management.

Depending on project needs, Ms. Foss has conducted established industry-standard survey protocols, or where appropriate, has created and implemented biological survey protocols adapted to site-specific factors. She has coordinated and conducted rangeland monitoring, rare plant surveys, plant community mapping, floristic inventories, sensitive wildlife surveys, wetland delineations, and baseline inventories on sites throughout California.  She is familiar with state and federal regulations protecting special-status species.

Ms. Foss possesses strong geospatial and tabular data collection, management and statistical analysis capabilities. She has employed these skills to support sound science-based adaptive management decisions such as assessing effectivity of rare plant management, locating agricultural improvements, and selecting the most effective option for invasive pest management.  She is comfortable working with Garmin, Trimble GPS units, Juno GPS units, ArcGIS, TerraSync, ENVI, and R.

Selected wetlands project experience includes assisting with large branchiopod dip-net surveys, California tiger salamander seine and drift fence studies, California red-legged frog monitoring, California yellow-legged frog surveys and life cycle monitoring, fish seining, crab trapping, water quality testing, and wetland delineations.  Selected terrestrial project experience includes plant community mapping, forest composition monitoring, sub-alpine meadow monitoring, rare plant and botanical surveys.  She also has a strong familiarity of California amphibian, mammal and bird species.

B.A. Biology (concentration in evolution and ecology), University of California, Davis, 2006
GIS Certificate, San Jose State University, 2009

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Staff Ecologist and GIS Analyst, May 2011-present
• FRP Games: Database Administrator, 2009-2011
• Stepping Stone Tutors: Tutor, 2009-2011
• Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes: Tutor, 2007-2009
• Franklin-McKinley School District: Substitute Teacher, 2006-2008

Mr. Smith’s educational background is in terrestrial and wetland ecology, and the use of spatial data to understand and present biological information. His educational background includes graduate coursework in ecological study design and geographic information science, with research experience using GIS to investigate the dispersal dynamics of plethodontid salamanders.

Mr. Smith was a science and math educator for four years, and he retains those communication skills for presenting technical data to both scientific and lay audiences. After completing his certificate in GIS, he moved on to spend two years as a database administrator, managing a 30,000+ record database. He now applies those database administration skills to the analysis of large biological datasets. He has been the data organization and processing lead on an analysis of the hydrology, botany, water quality, and invertebrate biology of over 450 created and natural vernal pools in California’s central valley. He is also the lead cartographer on an ongoing project to create ca. 7 acres of vernal pools in Madera County. His primary duties at VNLC are as a staff cartographer and GIS analyst, where he has analyzed survey data and produced maps for several projects set in the San Joaquin valley and the Coast Range.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting, Senior Ecologist, 2023 – present
• American Rivers, Director, Central Valley Program, 2019 – 2023
• Stillwater Sciences, Senior Riparian Ecologist, 2006 – 2019
• University of San Francisco, Part-time faculty, 2005-2015, 2019
• Self-employed, Consulting Ecologist, 2004-2006
• Adaptive Management Services, USFS, Ecologist and Statistician, 2001-2005
• Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests, Field Ecologist, 1994-1998
• Wetlands Research Associates, Project Associate, 1993 – 1994
• Woods Hole Research Center, Research Associate, 1992-1993

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Dr. Merrill is a senior ecologist at Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting with over 25 years of experience working on river and meadow restoration and management in California. She received her Ph.D. in Wildland Resource Science in 2001, where she combined plant and soil science with river hydrology and geomorphology to gain expertise in wetland and riparian ecology. Dr. Merrill has worked within the private, public, and non-profit frameworks to improve wetland and riparian management in California. She has managed over 40 projects including restoration, monitoring, mapping, tool development, and research to further restoration and improve natural resource management. With the Forest Service and recently with American Rivers, Dr. Merrill contributed to research and led a review of fire effects on vegetation, river, and watershed health.

Dr. Merrill has led a series of field and research projects on Sierra Mountain meadows to articulate the need for restoration, quantify restoration benefits to stream flow, water and carbon storage, and forage production. She co-authored several technical reports on meadow management, including on restoration techniques and a meadow classification guide. Recently, Dr. Merrill led a larger effort to assess carbon sequestration in healthy and degraded mountain meadows and the effects of hydrologic restoration on sequestration rates. Dr. Merrill has led or co-led the design and implementation of six on-the-ground riparian and wetland restoration projects in the Delta and Central Valley and led site planning, watershed surveys, vegetation mapping, and other studies to identify priority restoration areas and approaches to restore ecological function along rivers of south Coastal California, the Upper Sacramento Valley, and the Lower San Joaquin Valley. Recently, Dr. Merrill has engaged with diverse coalitions in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada to achieve restoration goals at scale. She has presented frequently at regional conferences on the science and practice of restoration ecology and taught graduate courses in riparian ecology and watershed management.

EDUCATION
Ph.D. Wildland Resource Science, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA. 2000
M.S. Natural Resource Management, College of Natural Resources, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 1992
B.A. Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY. 1983

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Three-Creeks Restoration (Contra Costa County, CA)
Project Manager (2019-2022)

Oversaw successful completion of project designs, regulatory compliance, partnership and funding agreements to initiate implementation of this 12-acre channel widening and riparian restoration project along Marsh Creek in Brentwood, CA. Led management and hiring of team to implement revegetation as well as first several years of effectiveness monitoring and reporting. This project is part of a long-term effort to restore the Marsh Creek corridor connecting Mount Diablo to Big Break in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta.

Twitchell Island Enhancement (Sacramento County, CA)
Project Manager (2013-2019)

Led restoration and enhancement of five parcels, totaling 48 acres of degraded lands, to restore healthy riparian forest, riparian scrub, and grassland on Twitchell Island in the western Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. This project included development of the restoration design, weed management plan, post-implementation monitoring and adaptive management plans, leading management of contractor bids, project implementation, monitoring, and adaptive management.

Grizzly Slough Phase II Mitigation (Sacramento County, CA)
Project Manager (2009-2012)

Developed restoration design, planting and monitoring plans for a 35-acre mitigation site located near the confluence of the Cosumnes-Mokelumne rivers. The plan includes restoration of oak woodland, tule and willow wetlands, and riparian forest, and integrates a small stand of cottonwood and willow trees that naturally recruited into the area during 2004 and 2006 flood events. To-date, the restoration plans have been implemented with the oversight of the DWR FESSRO program and the New Hope Reclamation District.

Bradford Island Post-Restoration Monitoring (Contra Costa County, CA)
Project Manager (2006-2010)

Designed and supervised post-implementation monitoring of this 50-acre site in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, originally designed by Stillwater Sciences and implemented in 2006 as mitigation for levee enhancement and maintenance projects. The site includes over 20 acres of riparian scrub, 25 acres of riparian forest, and 3 acres of freshwater marsh.

Carbon Sequestration in Mountain Meadow (Sierra Nevada Mountain Range)
Project Coordinator (2015-2021)

Coordinated a group of 7 restoration projects to measure carbon sequestration in 15 restoration and control meadows and develop a draft carbon offset protocol for mountain meadow restoration. This project included leading the carbon Technical Advisory Committee to implement a common framework and set of field, laboratory, and data analysis protocols, populate a database on net soil C sequestration, and manage and analyze the data generated on post-restoration effects. Final products include a pre-restoration report on carbon sequestration in degraded and healthy meadows, a post-restoration report on effects of restoration on sequestration rates, and a draft carbon credit protocol for meadow restoration for the volunteer market (see publications).

Sierra Meadows Strategy and other Support Documents (Sierra Nevada Mountain Range)
Lead and Co-author (2008-2016)

Co-led development of the Sierra Meadows Strategy, which brought together over twenty institutions, including state and federal agencies, NGOs, and restoration professions, to develop a broad and integrated strategy to increase the pace and scale of meadow restoration and protection in the Sierra Nevada. This set of projects include co-authoring multiple support documents, including ‘Guide for Restoring Functionality to Mountain Meadows of the Sierra Nevada’ (Stillwater 2012), ‘A field key to meadow hydrogeomorphic types for the Sierra Nevada’ (Weixelman et al. 2011), a ‘Meadow Scorecard Rapid Assessment Tool, Forage and Cattle Response to Sierra Meadow Restoration’ (Tate, et al. 2011), and ‘An Economic Analysis of Sierra Meadow Restoration’ (Merrill and Aylward 2012).

Meadow Monitoring on the Eldorado National Forest (El Dorado County, CA)
Project Manager (2009-2011)

Led field survey of 40 meadows in the Eldorado National Forest (ENF) to assess hydrologic and geomorphic effects of roads and trails on vegetation condition. This survey was required for the ENF Public Wheeled Motorized Travel Management decision of 2008 to address negative impacts on meadow hydrologic function caused by travel routes on or adjacent to meadows as part of the NEPA review of their National Forest planning process.

Habitat Quantification Tools, Central Valley Habitat Exchange (Central Valley, CA)
Project Manager (2014-2019)

Led development of habitat quantification tools for sensitive species in the Central Valley by working with species experts, agency personnel, and private landowners. Tools for Swainson’s Hawk, giant garter snake, riparian land birds, and Chinook salmon are used to score site habitat quality so that improved management can be developed into habitat credit for use in volunteer and regulatory markets. This project included using the tools to perform field assessments on over twenty private properties.

Effectiveness Monitoring of Oregon Conservation Reserve Enhancement Projects (CREP)
Technical Lead (2015-2016)

Developed and implemented an effectiveness monitoring protocol to evaluate the efficacy of conservation measures implemented under the USDA CREP program on riparian areas and fish and wildlife habitat across Oregon. After collecting and analyzing data from 40 sites, we made recommendations to the USDA for improving program structure and results.

Santa Clara River Parkway Floodplain Restoration Feasibility Study (Ventura County, CA)
Technical Lead (2006-2009)

Led examination of riparian vegetation dynamics in relation to historic and on-going changes in stream conditions, identified dominant controllers on riparian vegetation distribution and articulated linkages between these variables and storm events associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Results are being used to inform restoration strategies and restoration site locations being implemented along the Lower Santa Clara River.

Cow and Mill Creek Riparian Mapping and Condition Assessment (Shasta and Tehama Counties, CA)
Project Manager (2012-2015)

Teamed with Aerial Information Systems to map riparian habitat distribution and quality in Upper Sacramento tributaries that provide important anadromous fish habitat for the Central Valley salmon and steelhead populations. We provided association-level maps of riparian plant communities in both watersheds and an alliance level map of adjacent upland vegetation community types and developed recommendations for priority areas for restoration, preservation, and enhancement in these watersheds.

Riparian Vegetation Classification for Upper Cosumnes Watershed and Lake Tahoe Basin (Eldorado, Placer, and Washoe Counties, CA and NV)
Project and Field Lead (1993-2001)

Designed and implemented field data collection, led field crews, and analyzed data to develop an association level classification for riparian areas along the upper Cosumnes within the El Dorado National Forest and within the Lake Tahoe Basin, supported integration of the USFS and NPS regional classification data as part of the broader effort to align national and state vegetation classification efforts. Published study on factors controlling diversity in riparian systems in the Lake Tahoe Basin (Merrill, Benning, and Fites-Kaufman 2006).

B.S. Environmental Science and Management (concentration in ecology, biodiversity, and evolution), University of California, Davis, 2012

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Staff Ecologist, 2015-present
• Zone 7 Water Agency: Technical Field Coordinator, 2015
• Urban Creeks Council: Program/Field Manager, Program Coordinator, Intern, 2012-2015
• U.C. Davis Herbarium: Intern, 2012
• U.C. Davis Botanical Conservatory: Intern, 2012

Ms. Neuhaus has a unique professional background combining non-profit and government work. Her undergraduate work focused on ecology, botany, and GIS. Since earning her degree, she spent two years managing the Living Arroyos program, an environmental stewardship program to restore riparian habitat in Alameda County, and trained hundreds of volunteers in stream restoration tasks and native plant care. She has led and coordinated monitoring, reporting, and on-the-ground implementation for multiple riparian restoration projects in the Livermore-Amador Valley. She has experience with many field survey techniques, including California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM), electroshocking, seining, dipnetting, and water quality testing. She is proficient in ArcGIS, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Creative Suite software and data collection using Trimble GPS units.

Ms. Neuhaus has applied her skills to a variety of projects in Northern California. In her three years with Urban Creeks Council, she was involved in a baseline study of riparian habitat in eastern Alameda County conducting CRAM, vegetation, and fish surveys on thirty sites. She also worked with Point Blue Conservation Science to develop a method of using publicly available citizen science bird survey data to evaluate quality of riparian habitat, and worked on over twenty-five soil bioengineering projects using live willow material for bank stabilization and erosion control. Since joining VNLC, Ms. Neuhaus has conducted multiple different biological surveys including California tiger salamander larval seine surveys, California red-legged frog surveys, aquatic invertebrate surveys, botanical and rare plant surveys, visual encounter surveys and amphibian spotlight surveys.

Ms. Neuhaus holds federal permits to conduct surveys for California red-legged frog and larval surveys for California tiger salamander.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Senior Ecologist, 2023-Present
• Woody Feed Stock Aggregation Pilot: Project Manager, 2023-Present
• Petrolia Fire Department: Captain, 2010-Present
• Mattole Valley Resource Center: Board Chair, 2017-Present
• Cooperative Agriculture Network: Co-founder, 2021-Present
• Mattole Uplift Cooperative: Founder, 2018-Present
• Mattole Salmon Group: Project Manager, 2009-2018
• Mattole Restoration Council: Program Manager, 1997-2003

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Mr. Barber’s education and professional experience focuses on organization and management of projects that further community, fisheries restoration, and climate resilience. Mr. Barber’s role at Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting is Senior ecologist. In this role he is developing and managing projects to support forestry and fisheries restoration efforts on the North Coast. He is Project Manager and co-founder of the Woody Feedstock Aggregation Pilot Project, a recipient of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research grants for wood product innovation. He has been a program manager for the Mattole Restoration Council, a project manager for the Mattole Salmon Group, board chair of several non-profits, a founder of the Mattole Uplift Cooperative, and a co-founder of the cooperative agriculture network (CAN). He also serves as Captain of the Petrolia Fire Department where he has provided emergency response services and leadership to his community for over 20 years. He has 20+ years living and working in the Mattole watershed where he designed, managed the Mattole Ecological Education Program (MEEP) and managed the funding and implementation of over half a million dollars from private, state, and federal sources for various in-stream large-wood projects with the Mattole Salmon Group . His background as project manager, program manager, and founder within Humboldt County has allowed Mr. Barber to develop a thorough understanding of local and state regulatory permitting, planning, as well as project development and management.

EDUCATION
B.A. Environmental Restoration and Education, Prescott College 1996.
A.S. Watershed Science, Feather River College 1993.
Additional Professional Trainings: First Aid for the Professional Responder, Certificate of Incident Command Systems, Certificate of Permaculture design teacher, Certificate of Osha 30 hour general industry.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Woody Feedstock Aggregation Pilot Project (WFAP)
Project Manager, 2023-present

Mr. Barber co-designed and operates this pilot project funded by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. The goal of this project is to build a forestry cooperative model for a small Humboldt community. The project aims to increase markets for forest products resultant of post-fire mitigation and pre-fire fuels reduction efforts.

Mattole Estuary Habitat Enhancement
Project Manager, Mattole Salmon Group, 2009-2018

Served on and organized Mattole Estuary inter-agency TAC team. Mr Barber led field tours and facilitated discussions which guided habitat enhancement project development and placement. As project lead, Mr. Barber successfully fundraised for and managed over half a million dollars to implement TAC projects within the Mattole River Estuary with money fundraised through various private, state, and federal sources. Most notable restoration projects included 7, different large woody debris wood loading projects, including the first helicopter wood-placement project in the Mattole. For all these projects Mr. Barber planned, facilitated permitting and design, as well as crew management and structure placement in the Mattole estuary.

Mattole Uplift Cooperative
Founder/ Board Chair

Uplift is an organization developed to build the capacity of the Mattole community of agricultural businesses into an agricultural cooperative. Mr. Barber studied and trained teams in group facilitation skills and cooperative development to guide teams and stakeholders to effective collaborative solutions.

Cooperative Agriculture Network (CAN)
Founder/Active member

Mr. Barber is a founding and active member of CAN, a cooperative development group that works nation-wide to raise cooperative development capacity of stakeholders and works at the state level to guide policy to solutions that supportive of small-scale agriculture through cooperatives.

B.S. Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, 2019

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC) Staff Ecologist 2019 – present
• United States Geological Survey (USGS) Biological Science Technician 2018-2019

Professional Summary

Mr. Hwang’s professional and educational background has focused on the study and conservation of a wide variety of California’s rare and threatened species. His main area of specialization is in the biology and ecology of California’s reptile and amphibian species such as the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas), California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) and the Mohave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Mr. Hwang also has experience working with other taxa including large freshwater branchiopods and other aquatic invertebrates. His fieldwork experience includes visual transect surveys, night spotlighting surveys, dipnetting, seining, trap checking and radio telemetry receiver operation.

During his undergraduate degree, Mr. Hwang assisted in several graduate and postdoctoral research projects at the University of California, Davis. One such project included sampling vernal pools across several locations in the Central Valley for fairy shrimp presence to assess the viability of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to detect vernal pool species. In another project, Mr. Hwang worked closely with postdoctoral candidate Richard Kim to study the interspecific interactions between giant garter snakes and invasive American bullfrogs. On this project Mr. Hwang played a crucial role in field collections, and designing research methods as well independently conducting research himself. He has also helped raise neonate giant garter snakes on a headstarting program with the goal of reintroducing giant garter snakes into restored wetlands. Through this exposure to a variety of different projects, Mr. Hwang has become adept at data collection, data management and other associated tasks essential for conducting high quality scientific research.

Representative Project Experience

USGS Giant Garter Snake Demographic Study (Solano, Sacramento, Yolo, Colusa, Sutter, Butte Counties, CA). Biological Science Technician. Conducted field surveys involving checking and maintaining traplines targeting the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) in the Northern Central Valley. Captured snakes were processed to collect morphometric data and to provide individualized markings and PIT tags for later identification. Summer 2018, Summer 2019. 

Environmental DNA Monitoring for Vernal Pool Organisms (Sacramento and Merced Counties, CA).  Field Assistant for postdoctoral candidate, Shannon Kieran, in the Genomic Variation Lab , UC Davis. Surveyed over 80 vernal pools using a combination of dipnetting and eDNA sampling to detect the presence of vernal pool species. Winter 2017.

Rancho Seco Recreational Area Vernal Pool Monitoring Study (Sacramento County, CA). Field Assistant for graduate student Julia Michaels in the Eviner Lab, UC Davis. Monitored a complex of over 50 vernal pools to determine the effects grazing on vernal pool plant communities. Maintained fence lines, took measurements on pool hydrology and conducted plant species transect surveys. Winter 2018.  

Ironwood Consulting Desert Tortoise Surveying and Translocation (Clark County, NV). Field Technician. Participated in surveys and translocation efforts focused on a population of Mohave desert tortoises on a proposed solar farm. Duties included performing visual transects, burrow examinations and radio telemetry receiver operation. Summer 2018. 

Professional Development Coursework

California Red-Legged Frog Level II Workshop (Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project). Point Reyes CA, Sonoma CA, August 2018.

Bullfrog Culling Workshop (Jeff Alvarez,The Wildlife Project). San Jose CA, October 2018.

Rancho Meling, Baja California Herpetological Survey and Workshop (Jeff Alvarez, The Wildlife Project). Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, April 2019.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC): Staff Ecologist, 2018—present
• Barrett-Henzi Lab (Eastern Cape, South Africa): Behavioral Research Assistant, 2017—2018
• Mattole Restoration Council (Petrolia, CA): Nursery Assistant, 2020—2021
• Mattole Restoration Council Board of Directors: Secretary, 2021—present
• Lost Coast Camp (Petrolia, CA): Director, 2017—present

EDUCATION
B.S. Wildlife, Fish, And Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, 2020

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Ms. Vollmar received her B.S. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from the University of California, Davis, in 2020. During her undergraduate, she worked as a primatologist in South Africa, where she conducted observational research on wild vervet monkeys for the Barrett-Henzi Lab of the University of Lethbridge, Canada. Upon completion of her degree, Ms. Vollmar began working with the Mattole Restoration Council (MRC), a small non-profit in rural Humboldt County, and transitioned to working with botanical resources. There, she propagated native plants for riparian and coastal prairie restoration projects and conducted invasive plant management throughout the King Range. Ms. Vollmar also created science education programs for the local school district, and has served as secretary on the Board of Directors for the MRC since 2021. She worked as an on-call staff ecologist with VNLC for four years before joining the consulting firm full time in 2022.

Ms. Vollmar has applied her skills to a number of projects with VNLC throughout California. Her botanical experience includes targeted rare plant surveys, vegetation classification and mapping, floristic inventories, and general botanical surveys.  Additional field experience includes vernal pool aquatic invertebrate surveys, amphibian larval seine surveys, wetland delineations, biological and general inspections, and residual dry matter monitoring. She has also written many reports including long-term management plans, baseline condition reports, and annual reports for multiple projects.

RELEVANT TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS
CNPS Vegetation Sampling and Rare Plant Treasure Hunt, March 2022
FFT2 Wildland Firefighter, May 2021
S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaw, May 2021

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE

City of Roseville Open Space Preserves Long-term Monitoring (Placer County, CA). Staff Ecologist. Assisted in the monitoring of 25 preserves owned and managed by the City of Roseville. Habitat types include vernal pool grasslands, oak woodland, and riparian corridors. Conducted surveys including aquatic invertebrate surveys, vernal pool floristics, vernal pool hydrology monitoring, invasive weed species monitoring, and biological inspections. 2019 – Present. 

Environmental Stewardship Foundation Preserves (Placer, El Dorado, & Sacramento Counties). Staff Biologist. Assisted in the monitoring of 13 preserves managed by Environmental Stewardship Foundation. Habitat types include vernal pool grasslands, oak woodland, and riparian corridors. Conducted surveys including biological inspections and general inspections. 2019 – Present.

Flying M Ranch Wetland Preserve Project (Merced County, CA). Staff Ecologist. Conducted large branchiopod and amphibian surveys. 2019. 

Wilson Homes Vista Ranch (Fresno County, CA). Staff Botanist. Conducted the floristic inventory for the roughly 400-acre proposed development site. Wrote the Long-Term Management Plan for the proposed mitigation site in Madera County. 2023. 

Lazy K Monitoring (Madera County, CA). Project Manager and Staff Biologist. Conducted hydrological and floristics monitoring surveys on over 100 natural and created vernal pools. Conducted large branchiopod dipnet surveys. Assisted with irrigation for riparian restoration project using Trimble GPS units.  Assisted with monthly compliance and annual reports. 2019 – Present. 

King Range Invasive Plant Removal (Humboldt County, CA). Field Technician with Mattole Restoration Council. Assisted with ongoing efforts to reduce tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), and European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) in remote areas within the King Range. 2021. 

Mattole Restoration Council Native Plant Nursery (Humboldt County, CA). Nursery Assistant.  Propagated native grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees for local restoration projects and public sale. Work included harvesting wild seed in the King Range Mountains as well as maintaining nursery database. 2020 – 2021.

Midpeninsula Open Space District (MIDPEN) (San Mateo County, California). Staff Botanist. Conducted botanical resource surveys for the MIDPEN Windy Hill Preserve which followed CNPS ‘Intuitive Controlled’ method and CDFW guidelines for conducting protocol-level botanical surveys.  Mapped habitat types and invasive plant occurrences.  2023. 

Montezuma Wetlands Project (Solano County, CA). Staff Biologist. Conducted biological monitoring including hydrology sampling, aquatic invertebrate surveys, protocol shrimp surveys, and botanical surveys for vernal pool plants. Oversaw invasive weed mapping and removal.  2018 – Present. 

Parks Ranch (Lassen County, CA). Staff Biologist. Ms. Vollmar prepared the BCR and Land Acquisition Evaluation Report for the California Rangeland Trust. 3,634.77-acre ranch in northern Lassen County is situated in the Modoc Plateau and is partially within the Big Valley Basin. The property encompasses many plant community types, including sagebrush scrub, shrub, wetland, hardwood forest, herbaceous, agriculture, and conifer forest and woodland. Special status plant species documented on the property include Ash Creek ivesia (Ivesia particulata) and prostrate buckwheat (Eriogonum prociduum).

Walker Ridge (Colusa County, CA). Staff Botanist. Assisted with relevé and rapid assessment plot sampling alongside CNPS and VNLC senior botanists.  2022. 

West Wilcox Ranch (Solano County, CA). Staff Biologist. Assisted with a wetland delineation and ground truthing of remotely mapped wetlands. Participated in branchiopod dipnet and California tiger salamander larval seine surveys. 2019.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC): Staff Ecologist, 2022-present
• Petralogix Engineering, Inc.: Staff Scientist, 2021-2022
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS): Biological Science Technician, April-October 2021
• Redwoods Rising Watershed Rehabilitation: Apprentice, May-September 2019

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Mr. Bokisch’s undergraduate work focused on plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation, restoration of native habitats, and GIS. He has experience with survey methods such as trawling, seining, dipnetting, and night spotlighting. He is proficient in ArcGIS, Microsoft Office, and data collection using Trimble GPS units. Mr. Bokisch has experience surveying for several sensitive species including amphibian larval surveys (including California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander), western pond turtle surveys, snowy plover surveys, and vernal pool aquatic invertebrate surveys, botanical and rare plant surveys, amphibian visual encounter and spotlight surveys. Mr. Bokisch spent a summer working in Redwood National and State Parks where he evaluated sedimentation issues within the watershed of Mill Creek, a tributary to the Smith River. During this time, he became familiar with the floristics of the site and learned how to perform routine data collection of restoration resource metrics such as sediment volumes and culvert conditions of abandoned stream crossings. Mr. Bokisch has also worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a part of the Delta Juvenile Fish Monitoring Program. Here he learned how to perform mark/recapture studies, fish and habitat assessments, monitor restored habitat, and conduct Kodiak and Mid-water trawls in the California Delta.

Mr. Bokisch has applied his skills to many projects in Northern California and the Central Valley with VNLC. His field experience includes biological inspections, rare plant surveys and monitoring, wetland and upland vegetation monitoring, wetland delineations, and wetland design.

EDUCATION
B.S. Environmental Science & Management, California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt, 2020
Minor, Geospatial Analysis, California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt, 2020

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Lazy K Vernal Mitigation Preserve (Madera County, CA)
Staff Ecologist (2022)
Assisted with the monitoring of mitigation riparian plantings for the Lazy K Mitigation Preserve located along the Chowchilla River in Madera County.

 City of Healdsburg Biological Monitoring Projects (Sonoma County, CA)
Staff Ecologist (2022)
Conducted monitoring of mitigation riparian plantings for the City of Healdsburg along Dry Creek. Aided in reporting the success of the riparian plantings and provided active management recommendations to improve the condition of plantings.

Connolly Ranch Preserve Monitoring (San Joaquin County, CA)
Staff Ecologist (2022)
Conducted biological monitoring of California tiger salamander and California red-legged frog, including larval seine surveys and visual encounter surveys.

Coal Creek Erosion Control Plan (San Mateo County, CA)
Staff Ecologist (2022)

Provided an Erosion Control Plan for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District for their Coal Creek Preserve located in San Mateo County. Plan includes assessment of the site for existing botanical inventory and detailed recommendations of planting plan with selected native plant pallet. Conducted GIS mapping for the project.

Duffle Wetland Mitigation Project (Contra Costa County, CA)
Staff Ecologist (2022)
Conducted botanical and topographic surveying as well as GIS analysis for the creation of a 7,000 square foot wetland as mitigation for the installation of a solar field located in Contra Costa County.

Cloverdale Ranch Vegetation Management Project (San Mateo County, CA)
Staff Ecologist (2022)
Assisted with the surveying of rare plants, invasive weed mapping, and plant community mapping on the 6,000-acre Cloverdale Ranch located on the San Mateo Coast in support of long-term management of the site.

Hollister Ranch Conservation Easement Monitoring (San Benito County, CA)
Staff Ecologist, (2022)
Assisted with surveys for rare and threatened amphibians throughout a working cattle ranch. Conducted visual encounter surveys for California red-legged frog and western pond turtle and protocol level larval California tiger salamander surveys. Visual encounter surveys resulted in the documentation of a previously undocumented breeding population at the site.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC): GIS Specialist/Biologist, 2023-present
• Pacific Watershed Associates: GIS Specialist/Cartographer, 2022-2023
• Redwood National and State Parks: Road Removal Technician, 2021-2022
• Redwood Parks Conservancy: GIS Intern, 2020-2021

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Mr. Wrigley’s education and professional experience focuses on restoration and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He holds an environmental degree from UC Santa Cruz, a GIS certificate from Cal Poly Humboldt, and is an FAA certified drone pilot. With a combined two and half years of professional experience in both national park and consultancy settings, he has worked on projects from small scale mapping of legacy logging roads to large scale mapping of private property. Mr. Wrigley has used his expertise to help develop the current mapping techniques used by Redwoods Rising for road removal in Redwood National Park and create pre and post project implementation maps for sediment reduction construction throughout Northern California. Using specialized GIS software, he has extensive experience preparing base maps, property maps, and similar diagrams necessary for regulatory compliance, permits, and grant applications.

EDUCATION
B.A. Environmental Studies, University of California Santa Cruz, 2018
Certificate in Geographic Information Systems, Cal Poly Humboldt, 2023

Additional Professional Trainings: FAA certified drone pilot, Wildland Fire GIS Specialist Trainee

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Redwood National Park Road Removal Assessment
Road Removal Technician, Redwood National and State Parks, 2021 – 2022

Conducted a logging road assessment of hundreds of acres of post logged terrain in Redwood National Park. Created a rating system and database for cataloging roads so project management could make informed decisions on removal of roads for overall sediment reduction in the Redwood Creek watershed. Maps to help support site understanding and report writing were made on a weekly timeline detailing terrain, ownership boundaries, biological boundaries, and streamlines and buffers.

Sproul Creek Site Assessment
Project GIS Specialist/Cartographer, Pacific Watershed Associates, 2023

Mapping of legacy logging roads recently acquired by Green Diamond Resource Company. Developed maps using public data and historical aerial imagery to help create boundaries of project, stream discharge metric for culvert sizing, and cut years of logging roads throughout the land’s history.

Jack of Hearts Site Assessment
Project GIS Specialist/ Cartographer, Pacific Watershed Associates, 2023

Preliminary mapping of site to help create field maps for geologists and other professionals to make informed decisions beyond the scope of their visual line of site. Acquisition of public lidar, aerial imagery, roads, stream data, and ownership boundaries took place in order to create report maps for CEQA permitting and general sediment reduction construction proposal, permitting, and implementation.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Staff Ecologist, September 2023-Present
• Olberding Environmental Inc.: Biological Monitor, June-Aug 2023

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Mr. Edwards has worked in a variety of ecological and biological disciplines including restoration ecology, land management, botany, and entomology. He has been interested in protecting wildlife and wild spaces from a young age, regularly attending the Lindsey Wildlife Experience and Rehabilitation Center in Walnut Creek to learn about the zoology of native Bay Area fauna. At the University of California Santa Barbara, this passion led naturally to the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program.

After graduating from UCSB, Mr. Edwards returned to the Bay Area and pursued a variety of seasonal and volunteer positions to gain experience working in the field of ecology. Jacob worked as a conservation intern with the Friends of 5 Creeks group, creating plans for identifying and removing invasive flora throughout the Eastern Bay Area, collecting and processing climate change data, and writing regarding the effects of stream levels on native species. Jacob also worked as a biological monitor for Olberding Environmental Inc during the Summer of 2023, which led to significant work in land management and surveying for native species of significance such as California Red Legged Frog and California Tiger Salamander.

EDUCATION
B.A. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, 2022
El Cerrito High School, Class of 2017, Graduated with Honors

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC): Staff Ecologist, 2023 – present
• University of California, Santa Cruz: Teaching Assistant, 2023

EDUCATION
B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2023

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Coyote Ridge Pond Surveys (Sant Clara County, CA)
Survey Assistant (2023 – Present)
Assisted in multiple rounds of visual encounter surveys for California red legged frogs and California tiger salamanders. Additional night spotlight surveys were conducted for the frog species at the site. In addition, many other species of reptiles were found including the rare western black-headed snake.

Santa Cruz Long Toed Salamander Monitoring (Monterey County, CA)
Survey Assistant (2023)
Assisted in seining and dipnetting surveys for federally endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders. During sampling, invertebrates were identified and cataloged, and abiotic features of pools such as temperature and salinity were measured. Additional terrestrial reptiles such as red-sided garter snakes were found and tissue samples were collected.

UCSC Herpetology Teaching Assistant (Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County, San Mateo County, San Bernadino County, CA)
Teaching Assistant (2023)
Assisted in the teaching of the 2023 UCSC Herpetology class. His roles included teaching every class lab, administering exams, and guiding seven field trips across the state. This included weekly lab lectures in which every California reptile and amphibian’s ecology and biology were presented to the class. During the field trip portions, field survey techniques were utilized and taught to the students. The final field trip for the course was a four-day trip to the Mojave National Preserve, where visual encounter, road driving, and night spotlighting surveys were extensively utilized and taught to students.

Black Salamander Genetic Studies (Lake County, Mendocino County, CA)
Research Assistant (2023)
Assisted in UCSC Lecturer Sean Reiley’s research of black salamanders across their range. Black salamanders have large morphological/patterning differences in different counties. The purpose of the study was to get genetic samples of morphologically different individuals to see how genetically divergent individuals are within the species. Multiple rounds of field surveys in Lake and Mendocino counties were undertaken with tissue samples collected. In the lab, these tissue samples were prepared to be sequenced by a third party.

B.A. Physical Geography, University of California, Berkeley, 1992

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Field Ecologist, 1998-present
• Chambers Group, Inc.: Biologist, 1995-1996
• Ecosystems: Biologist, 1993-1995
• U.C. Santa Cruz, Predatory Bird Group: Research Assistant, 1991-1992

Mr. McCoy has over 10 years’ professional experience in the fields of wildlife biology, habitat restoration, ecology, botany and geography. Mr. McCoy received a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992.

During his professional career, Mr. McCoy has been an integral part of numerous wildlife and ecological field studies, habitat assessments, large restoration projects, sensitive species surveys, database analysis and interpretation projects, species natural history summaries, ecological risk assessments, long-term monitoring plans, wetland delineation and other habitat evaluations. As a wildlife biologist, he has conducted surveys for a range of species, including many State and Federally Threatened and Endangered species throughout California and Arizona. These surveys have been conducted in a variety of habitat types including fresh and salt marsh, seasonal wetlands, riparian wetlands, and upland annual grassland, shrub, and forest habitats. He has extensive experience with avian, mammalian, reptile, amphibian, fish and invertebrate species (fairy shrimp) including vernal pool and vernal pool associated wildlife surveys on several large ranches in Merced County and on properties in Solano County. Mr. McCoy has conducted surveys for California red-legged frogs, yellow-legged frogs and California tiger salamanders. He has successfully completed a large branchiopod identification course.

B.S. Conservation and Resource Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 2016
B.A. Geography, University of California, Berkeley, 2016

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Staff Ecologist, 2018-present
• Soil and Environmental Biogeophysics Lab, UC Berkeley: Research Assistant, 2016

Ms. Chinn’s undergraduate work focused on agriculture, geography, and GIS. During her undergraduate degree, Ms. Chinn spent a year working under PhD candidate Sarick Matzen studying the ability of Pteris vittata to accumulate arsenic in contaminated soils. Her field survey technique experience includes seining and RMA surveys. She is proficient in ArcGIS, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Creative Suite software, and data collection using Trimble GPS units.

Ms. Chinn has applied her skills to a variety of projects in Northern California and the Central Valley with VNLC. She is trained in spatial analysis and aerial imagery interpretation, and has assisted on multiple mapping projects.  Her field experience includes biological inspections, general inspections, fish surveys, nesting bird surveys, and wetland delineations.

B.S. Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, 2019

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC) Staff Biologist October 2019- present
• UC Davis Center for Veterinary Genetics Field Technician June-Sept 2019
• Soil Biogeochemistry Lab, UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources Lab Assistant 2017-2018
• Moyle Biology Lab, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Lab Assistant 2017-2019

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Ms. Yonashiro’s undergraduate work focused on wildlife taxonomy, ecology and conservation. Her main area of specialization is in the biology and ecology of California’s avian species. Ms. Yonashiro also has experience with other taxa, particularly aquatic invertebrates. During her undergraduate degree, Ms. Yonashiro spent two years working under Dr. John Durand differentiating zooplankton species sampled from the Sacramento Delta for the Aquatic Research Collective project. In conjunction, she spent some time intermittently in the Soil Biogeochemistry Lab conducting nutrient analysis of water quality samples for various projects such as the Complete Marsh Project. In the summer of 2019, Ms. Yonashiro worked closely with PhD candidate Andrea Broad collecting carnivore scat samples and performing DNA extractions for the UC Davis North Coast Deer and Carnivore Project. Her interest in wildlife rehabilitation also brought her to work in the Sierra Wildlife Rescue Baby Bird Nursery for a summer where she rehabilitated baby and injured birds. She has experience with field survey methods such as zooplankton net sampling, water quality testing and sampling, otter trawling, and visual transect surveys.

Ms. Yonashiro has applied her skills to a few projects in Northern California and the Central Valley with VNLC. Her field experience includes biological inspections, general inspections, bird monitoring, conducting nesting bird surveys, wetland and upland vegetation monitoring, and wetland delineations.

Representative Project Experience

City of Newman Seasonal Inland Wetland Restoration Project (Merced County, CA)
Staff Biologist (2019 – Present)

Assisted in the wetland delineation of wetland and grassland habitat, and led the wetland delineation report preparation. Field surveys involved using Trimble GPS units for data collection.

Environmental Stewardship Foundation Preserves (Placer, El Dorado, & Sacramento Counties)
Staff Biologist (2019 – Present)

Assisted in the monitoring of 13 preserves managed by Environmental Stewardship Foundation. Habitat types include vernal pool grasslands, oak woodland, and riparian corridors. Conducted surveys including biological inspections and general inspections.

Montezuma Wetlands Project (Solano County, CA)
Staff Biologist (2019 – Present)

Conducted monthly bird monitoring, vegetation monitoring, and sediment and water quality monitoring.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC), Staff Ecologist, 2023-present
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Research Assistant, 2022
• California Institute of Environmental Studies (CIES), Restoration Ecologist, 2022
• Marine Science Institute-UCSB, Salt Marsh Monitoring Technician, 2021
• Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, Student Worker & Researcher, 2020-2021
• Parasite Ecology Laboratory-UCSB, Student Researcher, 2018-2019

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Mr. Dobson specializes in a variety of ecological disciplines including herpetology, botany, parasitology, and restoration ecology. He began his career as a research assistant in Yosemite National Park studying the parasites of native and non-native amphibians. Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Alistair away from the disease-focused laboratory and towards fieldwork related to ecological restoration. Mr. Dobson worked at the Cheadle Center, where participated in day-to-day restoration activities and botanical monitoring. Independently, Alistair developed research projects including a long-term herpetological monitoring study that begun in 2020; this study continues to generate data about how reptiles and amphibians respond to restored habitats while providing paid research opportunities to undergraduates at UC Santa Barbara.

After graduating from UCSB in June 2021, Mr. Dobson pursued seasonal opportunities to explore pathways in professional ecology and travel to interesting ecosystems. Initially, Alistair worked as salt marsh monitoring technician and gained experience with intertidal taxa including fish, birds, mollusks, crustaceans, and polychaets. Afterwards, Alistair worked as a restoration ecologist in Channel Islands National Park, where he mapped populations of Brassica nigra, Foeniculum vulgare, and other non-native species, and lead teams to use herbicide and manual techniques to control their populations. Mr. Dobson left the islands in July of 2022 to pursue a short-term fellowship with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panamá. While there, he conducted fieldwork in the Panamá Canal to capture and identify a wide variety of marine fish that have invaded the freshwater ecosystems associated with the Canal. In the laboratory, Alistair dissected these fish and created collections of a wide variety of parasitic taxa, which has provided initial insights into the parasitic communities of the Panamá Canal fishery.

At Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting, Alistair has conducted rare plant surveys, monitoring at restoration projects, and protocol level surveys for special-status species including California Tiger Salamander, California Red-legged Frog, and Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp.

EDUCATION
B.A. Biology (College of Creative Studies), University of California Santa Barbara, 2021.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Reptile and Amphibian Long-term Monitoring for NCOS Restoration Project (S.B. County)

Lead Researcher, Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, 2020-ongoing

Developed a weekly monitoring program to assess small vertebrate biodiversity two years after major dirt movement for the North Campus Open Space (NCOS) ecological restoration project. Conducted weekly surveys with coverboards to identify/monitor small rodent, reptile, and amphibian populations throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. Hired and trained a student intern to take over monitoring for the 2021-2022 academic year and the 2022-2023 academic year. Plans to continue hiring a new intern each year in May. Presented a poster with preliminary results at the 2023 Joint Meeting of Herpetologists and Ichthyologists.

Marine Invasions in the Panamá Canal (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá)
Short-term Fellowship, Fall 2022

Collected fish using hand, seine, and gill nets in the mouths, locks, and central lake of the Panamá Canal. Identified Caribbean and Pacific fish species using taxonomic keys. Dissected the most common marine species to analyze their gut contents and parasite communities for this novel freshwater environment.

Burn Area Rehabilitation (Channel Islands National Park)
Restoration Ecologist for California Institute of Environmental Studies, 2022

Conducted invasive/non-native plant surveys and removals on Channel Islands National Park using ArcGIS and ESRI Fieldmaps. Directed small crews to locate, map, and eradicate remote populations of invasive plants. Mixed several variations of herbicide and maintained spraying equipment. Completed an offroad UTV driving certification course and navigated rough and rocky roads. Assisted in Ashy Storm Petrol and Cassin’s Auklet nest surveys and banding.

SONGS Mitigation Monitoring Program (Santa Barbara and Ventura County)
Salt Marsh Biological Monitoring Technician, Fall 2021

Conducted biological monitoring for environmental mitigation reference sites (Carpentaria Salt Marsh and Point Mugu Naval base). Field work included fish seine surveys and identification, epi- and in-faunal identification of crustaceans and gastropods, and collection of abiotic data and soil samples. Laboratory work included processing soil samples and microscopy to count and identify small in-faunal invertebrates-mainly polychaeta.

Camera Trap Survey of Hibernacula-use at NCOS Restoration Project (Santa Barbara County)
Independent Research for UCSB Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Grant, 2021

Deployed motion-triggered cameras at North Campus Open Space ecological restoration area on hibernacula (or constructed habitat refugia) at 35 sites throughout a 10-week study period. Managed two interns to review footage resulting in 5,500 observations of 23 vertebrate species. Presented findings about habitat-use patterns at the Ecological Society of America, 2021.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Dobson, A. L, Sullivan, K., & Stratton, L. (2022). Reptiles and Restoration: Coverboard Monitoring before and after Wetland

Reconstruction. UC Santa Barbara: Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/869559br

Dobson, A. L. (2021). Biodiversity associated with Constructed Hibernacula at a coastal Restoration Project.

UC Santa Barbara: Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4qb9s50f

Becker, D., Dobson, A., Klitgaard, K. 2019. Bark characteristics affect epiphytic bryophyte cover across tree species.

California Ecology and Conservation Research. Spring:1–8. https://doi.org/10.21973/N3H95Z

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC): Staff Ecologist, 2023 – present
• Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute: AmeriCorps Restoration Technician,2022-2023
• Maricopa County Parks and Recreation: Desert Defender/Eco-Database Intern, 2022

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Mr. Hurd worked in invasive species monitoring and restoration before joining VNLC. His educational and volunteer background focuses on herpetology and botany, particularly in the desert southwest.

Mr. Hurd has worked on a variety of projects. As an AmeriCorps Restoration Technician, he coordinated with landowners and a University of Idaho project planning class to draft a Clean Water Act 319 grant proposal on behalf of his host organization; and finalized the designs with the restoration coordinator. He also worked on 6 restoration projects implementing various restoration measures, most notably on a Stage 0 wetland restoration project, the first of its kind in Idaho, that saw the successful installation of over 7000 plants in the spring planting season. While working as an intern for Maricopa County Parks and Recreation, Mr. Hurd was responsible for mapping out the presence of invasive species in 3 county level parks.

EDUCATION

B.S. Conservation Biology and Ecology, Arizona State University, 2022
GIS Certificate, Arizona State University, 2022
Masters of Natural Resources: Restoration Ecology and Habitat Management, University of Idaho, In progress 

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Magee Rd. Restoration Project (Latah County, ID)
AmeriCorps Restoration Technician (2023)
Coordinated with landowners and a University of Idaho project planning class to design a restoration plan and draft a Clean Water Act 319 non-point source agriculture grant on behalf of the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute. Worked with the Restoration Coordinator to finalize the grant application and associated restoration designs before submittal to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.