Sue Gardner, Director, (415) 561-3067

Christina Crooker, Restoration Manager, (415) 561-3070

Monica Stafford, Interim Program Manager, (415) 561-3073

Jennifer Brink, Office Operations, (415) 561-3076

Meghan O’Connor, Mori Point Outreach Coordinator, (415) 561-3071

Chad Ladusaw, Restoration Intern, (415) 561-3074

Ariel Cowan, Restoration Intern, (415) 561-3023

Susie Bennett, Mori Point Project Coordinator, (415) 561-3075

Erin Mullen, Education and Outreach Intern, (415) 561-3078

Fax (415) 561-3010

Sue Gardner, Director, Site Stewardship Program
Sue’s career as a natural resources manager started in 1991 at Point Reyes National Seashore where she worked to restore habitat in the parks wilderness area. In 1993, she became the first staff person for the Site Stewardship Program and has spent the last 15 years pioneering ways to involve the community in restoration work, with an emphasis on protecting threatened and endangered species. Sue earned a B.A. in Business Economics and a minor in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Barbara and a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Under Sue’s leadership, the Site Stewardship Program is considered to be on the cutting edge of building community and educational partnerships to support natural resource efforts in the park. Sue and her staff regularly share their proven methods at conferences and with visiting park managers from local, state, federal and international conservation agencies. You can find Sue at sgardner@parksconservancy.org.

Christina Crooker, Restoration Manager, Site Stewardship Program.
Christina began her career working on conservation issues at her home state of Hawaii. There, she researched endangered birds, monitored federally listed plants and tree snails, monitored the impact of invasive plant and animal species on native plant communities, micro-propagated rare plants, and controlled invasive species. Her conservation ethic was shaped early on during her time as a biologist for the U.S. Army in Hawaii where she managed 88 rare and endangered species on four military reservations on Oahu. From 1997 to 2003 she served as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where she conducted formal consultations for endangered species. She also served for two years as deputy chair for the Oahu Invasive Species Committee. Since her move to California in 2003, she has focused her work in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. As a project manager at Fort Baker, she was responsible for running all aspects of the natural resource program including overseeing restoration and volunteer programs, designing and implementing research and monitoring programs, fundraising, and providing expertise and support on compliance issues. In her current position with the Site Stewardship Program, Christina plans and oversees restoration projects at four sites hosting the federally listed Mission blue butterfly, San Bruno elfin, San Francisco garter snake, and the California red-legged frog. Contact Christina at ccrooker@parksconservancy.org.

Monica Stafford, Interim Program Manager, Site Stewardship Program

Monica's introduction to the field of environmental restoration and community stewardship began in 1995, when fresh out of college, she joined the Presidio Park Stewards Program as a Park Service Intern. with the Presidio Park Stewards, she worked five years as a manager of the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, as well as on project sites throughout the Presidio. Druing and since that time, Monica has worked on a variety of habitat types: on coastal dune and scrub systems as restoration manager for Feral Dunes in the Presidio, in riparian corridors with the Friends of Sausal Creek in Oakland, on coastal terrace prairie and salt marsh habitats as a project manager for the Watershed Project, and last year, as a manager for the Trails Forever initiative at Lands end. Monica completed a Master's from U.C. Berkeley in rangeland science where she focused on grassland systems. You can reach Monica at mstafford@parksconservancy.org.

Meghan O'Connor, Mori Point Revegetation and Outreach Coordinator, Site Stewardship Program
Meghan joined the Site Stewardship Program as an education intern in the fall of 2006. She enjoyed working at the Oceana Native Plant Nursery so much that she accepted a position as the Mori Point Revegetation and Outreach Coordinator. Meghan's main responsibilities include managing the Oceana Native Plant Nursery which grows plants for Mori Point projects, monitoring Mission Blue Butterflies at Milagra Ridge, and working as a Public Information Coordinator for Mori Point. Meghan is originally from New Hampshire. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2005 with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. She took time to study ecotourism in Belize her junior year at UVM, intensifying her love of traveling. While attending school she worked in a molecular botany lab where she completed independent research projects on the legume Medicago truncatula. Directly after college, she interned with the Student Conservation Association on an island off the North Carolina coast in Cape Lookout National Seashore. The summer was spent monitoring endangered sea turtle nests and teaching the public about sea turtle ecology and biology, the park’s history, and ecology. Meghan is very eager to couple her knowledge of wildlife biology, botany, and ecology with education and environmental stewardship during her time with the Conservancy. You may contact Meghan at moconnor@parksconservancy.org.

Chad Ladusaw, Restoration Intern, Site Stewardship Program                                                                                             Chad completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Louisville, in Louisville, KY, where he received a B.A. in Biology with a concentration in Ecology.  As an undergraduate, Chad conducted independent research projects focusing on forest community composition along an urban to rural gradient and the effects of invasive species on soil microbial community structure and function.  Since graduating in 2004, Chad has had a variety of field jobs.  Some of his more interesting field jobs have included conducting surveys for the endangered running buffalo clover at a weapons depot, leading spring wildflower walks for a land conservation group, and serving as a contractor to EPA after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita throughout the Gulf Coast. Chad was inspired to seek work in the bay area after hiking in Muir Woods on a spring 2008 vacation.  He hopes to continue working with the Parks Conservancy after completing his internship, but plans on attending graduate school in the near future to work towards an advanced degree in Ecological Restoration. You may contact Chad at cladusaw@parksconservancy.org.

Ariel Cowan, Restoration Intern, Site Stewardship Program                                                                                                   Ariel joined the Site Stewardship Program as a restoration intern in June of 2008. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Brooklyn, NY in 2007. Ariel graduated from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a B.S. in Environmental Biology in May of 2007. Her focuses included Forest Pathology and Mycorrhizal Ecology. In her junior and senior years, she contributed to Laboulbeniales research, mycorrhizal root analysis, and Beech Bark Disease projects. She has also studied Chytridiomycosis detection on the island of Dominica, and Phytophthera detection in northern hardwood forests. Her goal is to continue with mycology research, studying how the uses of mycorrhizae and fungal pathogens can be combined with habitat restoration techniques and invasive species removal. Ariel is excited to learn and work with California flora. You may contact Ariel at acowan@parksconservancy.org.

Susie Bennett, Mori Project Coordinator & Butterfly Monitor
Susie Bennett has worked with Site Stewardship since February 2006 as a restoration intern. She has recently been hired to lead the butterfly monitoring program and coordinate the first phase of the Mori Point project. Before coming to San Francisco, Susie studied biology and ecology at the University of Georgia and completed an honors thesis examining the effects of beachgoers on hermit crabs in Costa Rica. After graduating in 2005, she spent a summer working with U.S. Forest Service assisting on a project studying the effects of exotic earthworms on ecosystem dynamics. She later returned to the University of Georgia to help teach a semester-long tropical ecology course in Costa Rica before joining the Parks Conservancy. She’s happy to be part of this SSP team and enjoys bringing community members into their neighborhood national parks. She hopes to continue working with the Parks Conservancy after completing her internship, but eventually plans to go back to school to work toward a graduate degree in ecology. You can contact Susie at sbennett@parksconservancy.org.

Erin Mullen, Education and Outreach Intern, Site Stewardship Program
Erin has been the education/outreach intern for the Site Stewardship program since October 2007. She completed her undergraduate degree at University of California at Davis, where she received a B.S. in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Marine Biology and a minor in Environmental Analysis and Planning. During her undergraduate education, Erin had multiple research opportunities both on campus and out at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. She has conducted research on freshwater fish ecology, marine invertebrate and tide pool ecology, and biological control of greenhouse insects. After she graduated, Erin spent one year working with the California Department of Fish and Game, where she monitored various populations of plants and animals in the central valley, including burrowing owls and California tiger salamanders. During this time, Erin volunteered as a tutor which got her interested in teaching as a career. She joined the Site Stewardship team hoping to learn the fundamentals of environmental education while also gaining insight of restoration practices used in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. You can reach Erin at emullen@parksconservancy.org.