Sonoma State University biology professor Hall Cushman has been named Director of the Fred B. Galbreath Wildlands Preserve, SSU's newly acquired 3,670 acre preserve in southern Mendocino County.
Cushman was chosen by Dean Saeid Rahimi of the School of Science and Technology for his expertise in ecology, conservation biology and land management.
Cushman joined the faculty at SSU in 1994 and has been active in environmental education and research for over 20 years. He has also been on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma Land Trust since 1998. Much of Cushman's research focuses on the ecology of invasive, non-native species, which so dominate natural areas in California.
Currently, he is studying the non-native pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death, which is devastating oak woodlands and forests throughout the Bay Area.
"I'm honored to serve as director of the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve and look forward to developing programs that allow students, researchers and members of the broader community to enjoy, explore and learn about this amazingly rich landscape" Cushman said.
The Galbreath Wildlands Preserve was donated to Sonoma State University in October 2004 to honor the memory of Fred Burckhalter Galbreath (1901-2000), who purchased the land in 1944.
To honor Galbreath's vision and life, SSU is developing programs at the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve that will promote environmental education and research, as well as effective stewardship of the property.
The preserve will provide a natural laboratory for university students and researchers in the areas of biology, geology, geography, archaeology, astronomy and environmental studies.
Located 17 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, the spectacular landscape ranges from 900 to 2,200 feet in elevation and is home to many species and habitats, including bald eagles, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, and black bear as well as extensive stands of redwood, fir, oak and madrone.
Galbreath worked for decades in San Francisco's marine insurance business but his greatest love was this rugged forested landscape in Mendocino County, which he explored frequently on foot and horseback.
For further information on the Galbreath Wildands Preserve, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/scitech/news/preserve/.
Hall Cushman can be reached at (707) 664-2142.
