MS, Walden University (Science Education)

Margaret has spent her career inspiring youth and community members to enjoy the natural world and become stewards of our environment. She began her work as a field biologist, studying endangered birds, bears, and other wildlife in Oregon, California, Alaska, New Zealand, and Midway Island. Her passions shifted to environmental education, and she worked as a curriculum specialist and educator at the San Diego Zoo and the California Academy of Sciences among others. Aside from nature education, Margaret loves to travel with her family and experience other cultures and wildlife. Margaret also holds a B.S. in wildlife biology, a B.S. in psychology, an M.S. in science education and is a certified instructor for the California Naturalist and Climate Stewards programs at the University of California.

MA, University of Connecticut (School Counseling)
BA, University of Connecticut (Psychology)

Holland has over 12 years of experience in the fields of education and youth development, most of which has been dedicated to environmental education in Sonoma County. She has called both coasts home, from a childhood spent roaming the hills of Napa County to studying Psychology and School Counseling at the University of Connecticut. She is a firm believer in the multidimensional value of environmental education for all, and is passionate about connecting people with the natural world. Holland coordinates Pepperwood’s Community Education classes and hikes, administers and teaches our Students Conducting Environmental Inquiry (SCENIQ) and TeenNat programs, and is a certified California Naturalist and Climate Steward. In her free time she enjoys travel and camping, dabbling in art projects and gardening, and good meals with friends and family.

Ben is an environmental anthropologist and cultural ecologist who specializes in understanding the systems of environmental management that are utilized by Native cultures throughout the world to establish long-term sustainability. With publications in ethnobotany, ethnographic art, and environmental science, Ben is also a well-known public speaker and instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College and Pepperwood. Ben also serves as a museum anthropologist and exhibit curator who has designed four small museums, including the Sarah Jesse Peter Museum at SRJC. As Cultural Resources Coordinator, Ben helps to incorporate the Native environmental perspectives of the Pomo, Miwok, and Wappo into Pepperwood’s long-term planning. Ben’s field research illuminates the preserve’s “prehistory” with a focus on the ancient obsidian tools found at Pepperwood’s cultural sites.

Clint is the descendant of several important local culture bearers that include the late Laura Fish Somersal and the late Mabel McKay. He is a Native speaker of the Wappo language and he also speaks some Pomo and is himself a culture bearer with extensive Native historical knowledge, not only of Pepperwood but also of the entire region. McKay is a born naturalist with a deep understanding of plant communities and traditional Wappo methods of nurturing them. He is a gifted basket weaver and he serves on the Board of the California Indian Basket Weavers Association. McKay is also a traditional Wappo spiritual leader and he is the headman of a traditional dance group. McKay has a Master’s Degree in Indigenous Education.

MEd, University of Washington (Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education)

Summer grew up in Sonoma County and recently relocated back to her hometown after graduating from the University of Washington with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction focused on Science Education as well as a certificate in Restoration Ecology. She is passionate about native plants, a Certified California Naturalist and brings over three years of teaching bilingual (Spanish/English) students about ecology and the natural world. Summer joins our team after leaving her recent position in the Pacific Northwest, where she worked at an outdoor environmental education center called IslandWood. As a graduate of Humboldt State (where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Globalization), Summer is excited to bring her expertise and interest in California’s unique flora and fauna to our local audiences. In her spare time, Summer enjoys photographing native plants, composting, hiking, playing soccer, learning the ukulele, and creating custom mixed media greeting cards.

Stephanie grew up in Los Angeles, California, where she attended University of California, Los Angeles, earning a BS in Geography and Environmental Studies. She started her career working on ecological restoration projects as a field technician, conducting wildlife and botanical surveys. Stephanie has worked with a variety of school-aged children in her career, and recently relocated from the central CA coast, where she worked as an Assistant Site Director at the Boys and Girls club and led educational field trips and outdoor classroom sessions for the youth there. Stephanie’s experience working in Baja, Mexico and in Spain as a tutor helped her realize her career goals: environmental education and restoration. She is excited to ignite passion in our local youth, helping them become the next generation of nature’s stewards. In her spare time, Stephanie likes watching Spanish soap operas, going on outdoor adventures, and dancing with friends.

MS, Purdue University (Plant Biology)

Having grown up in Sonoma County, Michelle Halbur greatly values the biodiversity of the region and is honored to work on conservation and land management research at Pepperwood. She has an M.S. from Purdue University where she studied the conservation genetics and ecology of a rare vernal pool plant that occurs in the Santa Rosa Plain, Sebastopol meadowfoam. Since 2011, Michelle has served as Pepperwood’s Preserve Ecologist where she oversees Pepperwood’s Community Science and Visiting Scholars programming. She advises Pepperwood’s land stewardship activities and manages on-site research projects including long-term forest and grassland monitoring, plant phenology, breeding bird surveys, the Stephen J. Barnhart Herbarium, and more. Michelle also helps to translate Pepperwood’s science for a variety of audiences, including professionals, students, and the public. She is on the boards of the California Native Plant Society, Milo Baker Chapter, and the California Native Grassland Association, as a Director-at-large serving for 2021-2022, as well as the Grasslands Journal Chair.

Publications

Cove, M., et al. 2020. SNAPSHOT USA 2019: the first coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States. Ecology.

Halbur, M.M., T.L. Comendant, N. Barden, A.L. Whipple, and E. Micheli. 2020. Annual Point Count Breeding Bird Survey at Pepperwood Preserve in the California Coast Ranges 2007-2019 ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative.

Bartosh, H., B. Peterson, M.M. Halbur, T.L. Comendant, A.L. Whipple, and E. Micheli. 2020. Post-Tubbs Fire Chaparral Floristic Survey at Pepperwood Preserve in the California Coast Ranges 2018-2019 ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative.

Townsend, S., S. Hammerich, and M. Halbur. 2020. Wildlife occupancy and trail use before and after a park opens to the public. California Fish and Wildlife, Recreation Special Issue, 74-94.

Halbur, M., S. Berleman, M. Gillogly, D. Friedfel, and T. Comendant. 2019. Oak woodland regeneration in fuel treatment areas before and after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, Sonoma County, CA. International Oaks, Journal of the International Oak Society’s Conference Proceedings. 30:153-160.

Comendant, T., R. Ferrell, M. Halbur, M. Gray, S. Hammerich, and L. Micheli. 2019. A climate ecosystem sentinel site, Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. A technical report prepared by the Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA, for the National Science Foundation, Field Stations and Marine Labs Grant #1624447.

Hammerich, S., M. Halbur, L. Micheli, T. Comendant, and S. Townsend. 2018. Benefits and lessons learned by engaging citizen scientists in camera trapping and monitoring. The Wildlife Society’s 25th Annual Conference, Cleveland, OH, October 2018.

Gillogly, M., C. Dodge, M. Halbur, L. Micheli, C. McKay, N. Heller, and B. Benson. 2017. Adaptive Management Plan for Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. A technical report prepared by the Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Herniman, W., M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2017. Comparison of oak phenology between a drought year (WY 2014-2015) and an El Niño year (WY 2015-2016) at Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. Northern California Botanists Conference, Chico, CA, January 2017.

Oldfather, M.F., M.N. Britton, P.D. Papper, M.J. Koontz, M.M. Halbur, C. Dodge, A.L. Flint, L.E. Flint, and D.D. Ackerly. 2016. Effects of topoclimatic complexity on the composition of woody plant communities. Annals of Botany, plw049. http://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plw049.

Townsend, S.T., S. Hammerich, M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2016. Wildlife abundance and trail use: North Slope Sonoma Mountain Study. Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District.

Funke, S., J. Robinson, N. Barden, M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2016. Pepperwood’s TeenNat: diverse teens contributing to conservation science. Organization of Biological Field Stations Conference, Sitka, AK, September 2016.

Herniman, W., M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2016. Comparison of oak phenology between a drought year (WY 2014-2015) and an El Nino year (WY 2015-2016) at Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. University of California Naturalist Conference, Running Springs, CA, September 2016.

Townsend, S. E., L. Micheli, and M. Halbur. 2016. Using the Wildlife Picture Index to measure ecosystem health and connectivity. Organization of Biological Field Stations Conference, Sitka, AK, September 2016.

Hoeft, E., Rockwood, P., and M. Halbur. 2016. Influence of soil moisture on phenology and species distribution in Pepperwood Preserve. Santa Rosa Junior College MESA Program Session, Santa Rosa, CA, May 2016.

Halbur, M., E. R. Micheli, and S. Funke. 2015. Combining people, place and science: lessons learned from citizen science at Pepperwood. Poster presentation at Citizen Science Association, San Jose, CA.

Funke, S., M. Halbur, N. Barden, C. Dodge, J. Robinson, and L. Micheli. 2014. Pepperwood’s TeenNat Diverse Youth Contributing to Conservation Science. Poster presentation at Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship Conference, Washington, DC.

Gillogly, M., M. Halbur, C. Dodge, and L. Micheli. 2014. The Pepperwood Conservation Grazing Pilot Project: Managing for complexity in our coastal California grasslands. Poster presentation at California Invasive Plant Council, Chico, CA.

Halbur, M. M., C. M. Sloop, M. J. Zanis, and N. C. Emery. 2014. The population biology of mitigation: Impacts of habitat creation on an endangered plant species. Conservation Genetics 15:679–695. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Ackerly, D., M. Oldfather, M. Britton, M. Halbur, and L. Micheli. 2013. Establishment of woodland vegetation research plots at Pepperwood Preserve. Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative. Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA.

Halbur, M., M. Kennedy, D. Ackerly, L. Micheli, and J. Thorne. 2013. Creating a detailed vegetation map for Pepperwood Preserve. Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative. Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA.

Townsend, S. E., L. Micheli, and M. Halbur. 2012. Using the Wildlife Picture Index to measure ecosystem health and connectivity. Poster presentation at The Wildlife Society, Reno, NV.

Jensen, M. 2011. Ecological and genetic consequences of habitat mitigation on an endangered California vernal pool plant: Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans). M.S. thesis. Purdue University.

Jensen, M., M. Gillogly, M. Kennedy, and L. Micheli. 2011. Monitoring long-term vegetation response to climate change: Setting a baseline. Poster presentation at Organization of Biological Field Stations, Bodega, CA.

Jensen, M., and N. C. Emery. 2010a. Conservation and community among the Santa Rosa Plain vernal pools. Fremontia 38:40–43.

Jensen, M., and N. C. Emery. 2010b. The effect of soil compaction on an endangered California vernal pool plant species Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans). Poster presentation at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.

Last updated April 2023.

BA, Sonoma State University (Environmental Studies: Conservation and Restoration)

Steven is a lifelong resident of Sonoma County. He grew up on a small farm in northwest Santa Rosa and has always had a connection to the land. He was introduced to Pepperwood in 2010 through classes taken at the Santa Rosa Junior College. The preserve captured his interest and he immediately became a Pepperwood volunteer. After taking the California Naturalist classes at the SRJC, he became a Pepperwood Steward and began working on the wildlife camera project. Now a member of the Pepperwood staff, Steven coordinates volunteers, manages data and equipment, and performs field work on the Wildlife Picture Index research project. He has since graduated from SRJC and then Sonoma State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. Steven enjoys hiking on and off trail in our local hills.

PhD, UC Berkeley (Environmental Science, Policy, and Management)

Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Morgan saw the impacts of development on the diverse wild spaces that make the region unique, and considers biodiversity conservation a lifelong vocation. As a Conservation Analyst at Pepperwood, Morgan uses data about wildlife, climate, and the environment to keep our landscapes connected and resilient. Her PhD research at UC Berkeley showed how human land use shapes where animals live, and has informed regional conservation plans that will help wildlife thrive.

Publications

MS, UC Davis (Soils and Biogeochemistry)
BS, UC Davis (Soils and Biogeochemistry)

As a native of Santa Rosa and avid outdoorsman, Ryan has spent much of his free time on the rivers, the wetlands, farmlands and coastal mountain ranges of the Bay Area and greater California. After high school, Ryan attended the University of California – Davis where he earned both his undergraduate degree and a Masters of Science in Soils and Biogeochemistry. His thesis work focused on mapping and modeling regolith thickness for the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas of California, and linking thickness to water storage and its effects on forest susceptibility to drought-induced mortality. As Pepperwood’s Research Technician, Ryan is helping to lay the groundwork for Pepperwood’s rapidly expanding wireless meteorological and soil sensor network, and is in charge of data management and acquisition from these systems.

Publications

Forbes, B., Reilly, S., Clark, M., Ferrell, R., Kelly, A., Krause, P., Matley, C., O’Neil, M., Villasenor, M., Disney, M. and Wilkes, P., 2022. Comparing Remote Sensing and Field-Based Approaches to Estimate Ladder Fuels and Predict Wildfire Burn Severity. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 5.

Forbes, B.K., Reilly, S.P., Clark, M.L., Ferrell, R.M., Kelly, A.C., Krause, P.D., Matley, C.D., O’Neil, M.W., Villasenor, M.T., Disney, M.I. and Wilkes, P., 2021. Plot-level ladder fuel estimation from a suite of remote sensing and field methods.

Bentley, L.P., Forbes, B., Reilly, S., Clark, M., Ferrell, R., Kelly, A., Krause, P., Matley, C., O’Neil, M., Villasenor, M. and Disney, M., 2021, December. Evaluating Remote Sensing Approaches to Describe Forest Structure for Ladder Fuel Estimation and to Predict Wildfire Burn Severity. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2021, pp. B25E-1510).

Keen, R.M., Voelker, S.L., Bentz, B.J., Wang, S.Y.S. and Ferrell, R., 2020. Stronger influence of growth rate than severity of drought stress on mortality of large ponderosa pines during the 2012–2015 California drought. Oecologia, 194, pp.359-370.

O’Geen, A., Safeeq, M., Wagenbrenner, J., Stacy, E., Hartsough, P., Devine, S., Tian, Z., Ferrell, R., Goulden, M., Hopmans, J.W. and Bales, R., 2018. Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory and Kings River Experimental Watersheds: A synthesis of measurements, new insights, and future directions. Vadose Zone Journal, 17(1), pp.1-18.

Ferrell, R.M., 2017. Patterns and above-ground ecosystem interactions of regolith in the southern Sierra Nevada of California. University of California, Davis.

Last updated April 2023.

Makayla grew up in a farming community in the Sacramento Valley. Always curious about the world around her, she developed a fascination with nature that began on her family’s farm.

Upon arriving in Sonoma County, she began working with Sonoma State University’s (SSU) Center for Environmental Inquiry, where she gained experience in land stewardship, plant identification, and community outreach. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Planning at SSU and has since held a variety of positions that have expanded her knowledge and interest in everything from ecology to environmental justice.

Makayla began as a volunteer at Pepperwood and is now a part of the GrizzlyCorps Fellowship program. As a GrizzlyCorps Fellow, she assists Pepperwood’s Research & Preserve Management Team in its research and land stewardship efforts.

BA, CSU Sacramento (Environmental Studies)

Michael first came to Pepperwood in 1994 to serve as the California Academy of Sciences’ Land Steward and Resident Biologist. Michael was promoted to Preserve Manager under the auspices of the newly established Pepperwood Foundation in 2005. As manager, Michael manages Pepperwood’s biological resources, oversees restoration and maintenance projects, directs field operations, and coordinates with researchers. Michael has led eco-tourism trips in Alaska and California and guides white water rafting expeditions throughout the western U.S. He lives on site at the preserve with his wife and their son.

Publications

Gillogly, M., M. Halbur, C. Dodge, and L. Micheli. 2014. The Pepperwood Conservation Grazing Pilot Project: Managing for complexity in our coastal California grasslands. Poster presentation at California Invasive Plant Council, Chico, CA.

Jensen, M., M. Gillogly, M. Kennedy, and L. Micheli. 2011. Monitoring long-term vegetation response to climate change: Setting a baseline. Poster presentation at Organization of Biological Field Stations, Bodega, CA.

Gillogly, M., and S. Brumbaugh. 2008. Grasslands of the Pepperwood Preserve. Grasslands 18:9–11.

BA, UC Santa Cruz (Environmental Studies and Economics)

Devyn Friedfel was born and raised in the Russian River area where he grew up learning to love the beauty and diversity of Sonoma County. While attending the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC), Devyn organized volunteer restoration work days at Shone Farm to help control invasive plants and promote native species. Through the SRJC he had an opportunity to visit Pepperwood and dreamt of someday working there. Devyn moved to Santa Cruz County to finish his Bachelor’s Degree, then worked up and down the central coast with the UC Natural Reserve System, while simultaneously working as a Field Biologist for two environmental consulting companies. Devyn is now Pepperwood’s Assistant Preserve Manager, and has been with Pepperwood for the last seven years. As the Assistant Preserve Manager, Devyn oversees all aspects of facility maintenance and land management, including but not limited to invasive plant management, wildfire recovery, forest fuel reduction, ecological monitoring, rotational grazing and prescribed fire. Devyn is active in his local Prescribed Burn Association and became a California State Certified Burn Boss in 2022.

Annie Madden is a fire practitioner and land steward whose nature story began in a small town right along the Missouri River. In 2012, she moved to Sonoma County where she attended Santa Rosa Junior College to earn Associate Degrees in Forest and Watershed Management, Natural Sciences, and Parks and Recreation Management. Over the past decade she has gained substantial hands-on experience in animal care, ecological restoration using prescribed fire, and recreation management as a kayak guide along the Sonoma Coast. Her motivation is community-based stewardship and education.

When you can’t find Annie at Pepperwood she is most likely hiking with her dog Bailey or hanging out at the Santa Rosa Junior College Shone Farm facility where she helps train and inspire students of the Wildfire Resilience Program. She is also a dedicated volunteer with the local Prescribed Burn Association, the Good Fire Alliance, and a graduated 2022 Fire Forward Fellow. Annie looks forward to continuing her relationship with the earth at Pepperwood.

BA, Sonoma State University (Geography and Environmental Studies)

Sophia (she/her) is originally from San Diego, CA, but has called Sonoma County home since 2018. She moved here to attend Sonoma State University where, in May of 2022, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Studies with a concentration in Society, Environment, and Development. Her previous work is in small scale sustainable agriculture with West County Community Farm in Sebastopol and as Lead Steward of the Sonoma State Organic Campus Garden. She’s also worked in environmental restoration and education as a Naturalist and Land Steward on Sonoma State’s three nature preserves and for LandPaths, a local nonprofit. Most recently, she was an intern for the Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring program for CA Sea Grant. She is passionate about environmental science and agroecology and excited to be working at Pepperwood as a Restoration Technician, and learning more about prescribed fire, grasslands, and regenerative grazing. 

Career Certificate, SRJC (Natural Resource Management and Watershed Management)

Growing up in the Black Forest of Germany, Sonja developed a love for nature early in life. She trained and worked as a nurse until she came to live in the US, where she immediately fell in love with California’s varied environments. Sonja’s background is mixed bag of Ecological Restoration, Native Plant Nursery Practices, and Parks and Open Space Operations and Maintenance. After working as a volunteer at Pepperwood for more than two years, she now considers herself proud to be a part of such an exquisite staff. Sonja’s role as Facilities Assistant consists of assisting with a wide variety of preserve management and maintenance tasks.