VOLLMAR NATURAL LANDS CONSULTING - Key Persons
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. Read Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Senior Ecologist
- EMPLOYMENT
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.
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, Read Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Principal Investigator
- Project Manager
- Expert
Dr. Helm is a senior biologist and wetland ecologist with over 18 years' experience as a professional consultant, research scientist, and adjunct professor. Dr. Helm received his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis in 1999. He also has an M.S. in Ecology from U.C. Davis (1996) and a B.S. in Wildlife Management from Humboldt State University (1988).
As a consultant, Dr. Helm has served as project manager and principal investigator for a broad range of resource assessment, mitigation and conservation projects including many large-scale, complex, and controversial projects. These have included developing and implementing field surveys for special-status plant and wildlife species; assessing sensitive resource impacts and developing mitigation plans; performing regional status surveys, assessing the relative significance of populations, and evaluating threats and endangerment status of species under consideration for listing; and preparing regional conservation and management plans.
Dr. Helm is an expert on the wildlife, ecology, restoration and creation of vernal pools, and is included on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) list of recognized specialists in fairy shrimp (Crustacea: Anostraca) identification. He developed current USFWS-approved procedures for the dry-season and wet-season sampling for federally listed large branchiopods. He prepared range maps from all known occurrences of California's 23 fairy shrimp species for a book entitled "Fairy Shrimp of California's Pools, Puddles, and Playas" (Ericsen and Belk 1999). He has conducted large branchiopod surveys in more than 7,000 vernal pools and other seasonal wetlands throughout 49 counties in California and five counties in Oregon (more than 200 individual projects). He has served as the project manager and principal scientist for broad-scale vernal pool conservation planning, mitigation, and management studies for listed large branchiopods in Merced, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Butte, and Yuba Counties. He has also served as a senior scientist and project manager for several Habitat Conservation Plans involving vernal pool resource issues including the North Natomas HCP, San Joaquin HCP, Sacramento HCP, and Yolo HCP.
Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist/Wetland Ecologist Dr. Helm is a senior biologist and wetland ecologist with over 18 years' experience as a professional consultant, research scientist, and adjunct professor. Dr. Helm received his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis in 1999. He also has an M.S. in Ecology from U.C. Davis (1996) and a B.S. in Wildlife Management from Humboldt State University (1988). As a consultant, Dr. Helm has served as project manager and principal investigator for a broad range of resource assessment, mitigation and conservation projects including many large-scale, complex, and controversial projects. These have included developing and implementing field surveys for special-status plant and wildlife species; assessing sensitive resource impacts and developing mitigation plans; Read Full Bio
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 Ms. Pinnell combines over 12 years as a professional wetland ecologist with over four years as Executive Director of a watershed restoration NGO in California. Her work has included 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 effectiveness of wetland, intertidal (eelgrass and oyster), and upland restoration projects, and using GIS and statistical software (R, Read Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Certified Rangeland Manager
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.
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.
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. Read Full Bio
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, Read Full Bio
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.
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. Read Full Bio
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.
Job Titles:
- EMPLOYMENT
- Senior Ecologist / GIS Specialist
Job Titles:
- Land Trust Open Services Contract ( Contra Costa County
Overseeing the vegetation component of a stream restoration project along 1.5 miles of Redwood Creek, adjacent to Muir Woods National Monument. Tasks include analysis of historical vegetation throughout the watershed, analysis of vegetation with respect to hydrology, mapping of current vegetation, rare plant and invasive weed surveys, and development of a planting palette and overall habitat restoration plans.
Providing a wide variety of services to this land trust, which owns and manages a large number of properties throughout Contra Costa County. Services include rare plant and wildlife surveys, habitat assessments, providing habitat management recommendations, and preparing digital maps and online resource content. Projects have included the documentation of multiple special-status plants and animals throughout Contra Costa County.
M.S. Botany, California State University, Chico, 1997 B.S. Botany, California State University, San Francisco, 1974 Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting: Senior Botanist, 2001 - present Jones and Stokes Associates: Field Botanist, 1990-2001 CA Dept. of Fish and Game, Shasta County, CA: Vegetation Specialist, 1993 U.S. Forest Service, Modoc National Forest, CA: Seasonal Botanist, 1990-1991 Mr. Hale is a botanist and wetland ecologist with more than 15 years of professional experience. He is an expert on California's flora and plant communities with particular knowledge of California's Sierra Nevada and Central Valley regions. Mr. Hale has conducted botanical surveys throughout California in many plant communities including vernal pool, salt marsh, Read Full Bio
Mr. Kelsey is an agronomist and vegetation ecologist with over 20 years' experience. His background includes botanical work, vegetation assessment, geologic work (specifically particle analysis and distribution in sedimentary deposits), soil assessments, and geo-morphologic descriptions including associated plant communities. Mr. Kelsey received his degree in Agronomy from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in 1978.
Working as a botanist, Mr. Kelsey has conducted floristic surveys in conjunction with mined land reclamation plans, and rare plant surveys involving vernal pool, annual grassland, and oak woodland habitats in the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent Sierra foothills. Mr. Kelsey participated in the botanical field surveys for the ecological study of eastern Merced County's vernal pool landscapes. Mr. Kelsey has prepared reclamation plans which have been approved under the State of California Surface Mine and Reclamation Act and continues to actively advise on such projects. Mr. Kelsey's expertise in the area of biomorphology is a result of extensive fieldwork, since 1989, involving geologic assessments in the lower Sierra Nevada foothills, identification of their associated soil types, and plant inventories in those areas. He has worked with landowners involving grant proposals, habitat and land form characterizations, plant surveys, regional conservation planning, mitigation banking and conservation easements. In 1992, Mr. Kelsey founded Merced River Mining & Reclamation Corp., a company which specializes in aggregate production from dredge tailings, reclamation of mined ground, and botanical reports. He has worked with botanists conducting rare plant and floristic inventories and bio-geographic research projects involving yearly data collection at project sites.
Mr. Kelsey currently is a Director on the East Merced County Resource Conservation District. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of Merced County Farm Bureau.
M.E.S., Permitting Specialist Mr. Phillips has over seven years of professional experience as a wildlife biologist and ecologist. He has a comprehensive understanding of the environmental planning process, including expertise in sensitive biological resources and the state and federal regulations protecting these resources (e.g., CEQA, the state and federal Endangered Species Acts, the federal Clean Water Act, and the California Fish and Game Code). Mr. Phillips has extensive experience analyzing the effects of development projects on biological resources and has prepared numerous biological resource chapters of EIRs, Biological Assessments for Section 7 consultations, and Biological Constraints Evaluations. Mr. Phillips also has conducted special-status species surveys, habitat evaluations, wetland delineations, vegetation mapping, mitigation design and implementation, and coordinating with state and federal resource agencies. Read Full Bio
Mr. Knowles has acted as a real estate broker, consultant or principal on land conservation projects in California since 1989. He received his A.B. in American Studies from Stanford University in 1987 and is a licensed real estate broker with the State of California. Mr. Knowles is the Founder and President of Conservation Land Group based in Sausalito.
Mr. Knowles' efforts have led to the permanent protection of over 100,000 acres of endangered species habitat, wetlands, wildlife corridors, working farms, coastal properties, and cultural/historic sites in the western U.S. VNLC provided ecological expertise for many of these projects. Mr. Knowles provides guidance to private landowners, non-profit conservancies and public agencies on land conservation priorities, charitable planning related to land preservation and strategies for securing acquisition funding from a variety of federal, state, local and philanthropic sources.
Mr. Knowles has considerable experience working with elected officials and community groups to build partnerships and coalitions on complex, multi-year acquisition projects. His transactional work includes property due diligence, overseeing land appraisers and natural resource specialists, and assisting in the resolution of legal and tax matters. While with The Trust for Public Land between 1989 and 2005, Mr. Knowles served on the City of San Diego's Multiple Species Conservation Program Working Group which oversaw the implementation of a 175,000-acre regional preserve system. Mr. Knowles also handles real estate matters and mitigation credit marketing and sales for several mitigation/conservation banks in California.
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.
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. Read Full Bio
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. Read Full Bio
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, Read Full Bio
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. Read Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Computer Specialist
- Information Technology Specialist
Mr. Bucknor is a computer specialist who maintains the connectivity of networked computers and an intranet system that allows VNLC's employees and associated subcontractors to access project management tools and project files from remote locations.
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.
Job Titles:
- 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.
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. Read Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Environmental Scientist
Dr. Siegel has devoted his professional career to the conservation and restoration of wetland and aquatic systems with an emphasis on estuarine tidal wetlands. His combined work experience and graduate studies have built his expertise as an integrative physical scientist and geomorphologist with considerable emphasis on the related disciplines of ecology, environmental regulation and policy, contaminant remediation in estuarine environments, management, and business.
Dr. Siegel focuses on the integration of numerous disciplines into a comprehensive systems approach for regional ecosystem planning, ecosystem restoration projects, and scientific research into ecosystem restoration and management issues. His approach is now commonly referred to as "ecosystem-based" management. Dr. Siegel works primarily in the San Francisco Estuary and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with other efforts elsewhere in coastal California as well as in the tropical Pacific. Restoration projects range in size from a few acres to a few thousand acres. Science research investigates physical, chemical, and biological processes affecting outcomes of ecosystem restoration efforts and the effects of ecosystem management on water quality and biological resources; Dr. Siegel is the lead principal investigator for CALFED's Integrated Regional Wetland Monitoring pilot project and for a State Board-funded investigation of low dissolved oxygen and methyl mercury production in Suisun Marsh managed wetlands. His current regional planning work includes being the technical lead for Governor Schwarzenegger's Delta Vision Ecosystem Strategic Plan, a science co-lead for the CALFED Delta Restoration Plan, science input for habitat planning as part of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, and Science Advisor for the interagency Suisun Marsh Plan. Dr. Siegel is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist.
Mr. Sloat is a wildlife and fisheries biologist with more than 15 years of experience, and extensive knowledge of biological resources throughout California. He has managed many projects ranging from small private land restoration to region-wide biological inventories. Mr. Sloat received his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology in 1988 from the University of California, Davis, and his M.S. in Ecology in 1998 from U.C. Davis.
Mr. Sloat is an expert ornithologist, and also has extensive experience with threatened and endangered terrestrial and aquatic species. He excels at coordinating natural resource improvements by working with a diverse group of stakeholders. He currently coordinates a large-scale water-quality monitoring program focusing on collecting background physical and biological data for the major tributaries of the upper Pit River in northeastern California. Working with private interest groups and state and federal agencies, project activities include the development of a watershed management strategy, and the coordination and management of several restoration projects.
Mr. Sloat's biological experience covers a wide range of species and projects. He has conducted several large-scale biological inventories in northern California focused on documenting the distribution and abundance of wildlife species including northern goshawk, spotted owl, great gray owl, willow flycatcher, and rare carnivores. He served as the lead ornithologist to develop avian monitoring programs related to the management of Staten Island for waterfowl and shorebirds, and for documenting avian communities and habitat associations in eastern Merced County related to future landscape conservation planning. Mr. Sloat collected baseline data on the distribution and abundance of several anadromous fish species (e.g., coho salmon, king salmon, sea-run cutthroat trout), and developed a long-term monitoring strategy to document population trends of fish using private timberlands. He has also conducted biological surveys, habitat assessments, and impact analysis on a wide variety of utility, gas, and water holding facilities. For his graduate work, he studied waterfowl populations and habitat associations of artic nesting geese.
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.
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. Read Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Map Library: Assistant Librarian
Job Titles:
- Center for Veterinary Genetics Field Technician June - Sept 2019
Job Titles:
- Council: Program / Field Manager, Program Coordinator, Intern
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.
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.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, Read Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Stock Aggregation Pilot: Project Manager, 2023 - Present