*Read the full Press Release: New Regional Director Brings Research, Consulting Experience to California Trout’s Sierra Headwaters Office
How does it feel to be the new Sierra Headwaters Director for California Trout?
I am truly honored to team up with a group of knowledgeable, dedicated, and effective conservationists and eager to help continue the momentous advances made by CalTrout over the last 47 years.
What are you looking forward to most in this new position?
I am most looking forward to cooperating with diverse interests in order to solve crucial and complex natural resource issue problems imposed by climate change and population growth in California.
What projects/area will you manage/work on and how will it benefit the world?
I will be primarily responsible for continuing the Sierra Meadows research and restoration project spearheaded by my predecessor, Dr. Mark Drew. Through coordination and collaboration with numerous partners, we intend to produce meadow restoration protocols and strategies to achieve multi-benefit outcomes, including improved habitat for plants and wildlife, sequestration of greenhouse gases, and a safer and more reliable water source for Californians.
What sparked your interest in research or science in general?
My interest in science was initially sparked by my eighth grade science teacher, Mr. Wallace, whose enthusiasm for the subject matter fostered a fun and highly productive learning environment. My most memorable activity was first gathering water samples from a nearby pond in Massachusetts and then observing live zooplankton under a dissecting microscope. I was fascinated by this invisible and mysterious world and knew immediately that I wanted to become an aquatic biologist when I grew up.
What is an interesting fact about yourself or something you want people to know about you?
I enjoy traveling by bicycle because, in addition to the tremendous physical challenges, it is undoubtedly the finest way for me to observe landscapes and meet and interact with local residents. I recently completed a trip from Maine to Wyoming through the country’s heartland in order to see the country first-hand and obtain a deeper understanding of the shared values, struggles, and concerns currently experienced by many Americans from vastly different walks of life. I am confident that my traveling experience and university training will help me engage with a diverse group of stakeholders in order to achieve CalTrout’s mission of “solving complex resource issues while balancing the needs of wild fish and people.”
Eric Huber is California Trout’s Regional Director for the Sierra Headwaters Region. He recently graduated from UC Berkeley’s doctoral program in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. His Ph D research focused on the estuarine ecology of Central California Coast fishes and Central Valley Chinook salmon hatchery management practices. He previously obtained an MS degree in Ecology from UC Davis where he utilized otolith microanalysis to investigate juvenile steelhead temperature-growth rate relationships throughout the Navarro River watershed in Mendocino County. Eric is a first-generation college student and majored in Integrative Biology and minored in Forestry as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley.
Before entering graduate school, Eric worked as a field technician for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Harvard University, and Michigan Technological University where he helped maintain microclimate stations and study carbon dioxide fluxes in boreal, eastern hemlock, and mixed conifer forest ecosystems. Eric also possesses environmental consulting and teaching experience for a broad array of subjects including general environmental science, fish ecology, geomorphology, and resource management and economics. His unique background is well-suited for implementing and coordinating CalTrout’s interdisciplinary projects throughout the Sierra Nevada region.
In his spare time, Eric enjoys outdoor exploration by foot and bicycle. His long-distance travels include partial hikes of the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails and bicycle tours through 25 US states, both islands of New Zealand, and portions of Mexico, Canada, and Australia. He considers the Sierra Nevada mountains his favorite place on earth and is happy to be ‘home’.
Complete the form below to be added to our volunteer database, with options to choose your interest areas and availability. You’ll be added to our volunteer mailing list and notified when there are opportunities in your region. Commitment levels vary, with some opportunities requiring more in depth training, while others you only need to show up.
Thank you for your interest in the Eel River Forum! We looking forward to sharing meeting updates and other info from the Eel River watershed with you as they develop.
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Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! We looking forward to sharing project updates, news, and stories with you from the Big Chico Creek watershed as they develop.
Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! One of our staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
Let us know if you are interested in volunteering and we will get in contact with you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your interest in the Elk River! One of our North Coast Region staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.
7 Comments
Dr. Huber,
Can’t say enough how excited I am to hear CalTrout has hired you as the new Sierra director. I have been waiting all summer for your position to be filled so I could apply for the coordinator position. So first off congratulations and welcome to Mammoth Lakes, and second I hope to be working with you in the near future!
Thank you for comment and interest in joining the CalTrout team, Sam. I am certainly excited as well. We are still a few months away from posting a job advertisement but if you provide your e-mail, I would be happy to inform you of the announcement as soon as it is posted.
Awesome, look forward to hearing from you. samscherck@gmail.com
Good morning,
I am representing the coordinating committee for The Wildlife Society’s upcoming workshop on Sierra amphibians. We are hoping to undertake a field visit to a restored, or under restoration meadow on May 29, 2019 and I immediately thought of the SMP. Do you happen to know of any sites near the Yosemite Field Station in Wawona?
Please let me know – and thanks in advance, Kate
Hi Kate, I’m pleased to hear about your interest in the Partnership’s work. I sent you a response via e-mail earlier today.
Eric: Are there any volunteer projects in and around Truckee restoring meadows and Sierra headwaters? I am interested in helping the cause and objectives of CalTrout!
Hi Roger, Thanks for your inquiry. Did you ever receive my e-mail?