Who We Are
Jim began his term as President in the summer of 2022. He retired from a career as an aquatic ecologist with the United States Geological Survey, where he worked on the Upper Mississippi River Monitoring Program. Among his many skills, he has experience with statistics, Geospatial Information Systems, surveying, and database management. When not devoting his time to the many committees within The Prairie Enthusiasts, he is restoring hill prairies on his property. He and his wife started their journey learning about prairies when they purchased land in 1990 and discovered an opening with many flowering species. After purchasing some additional acreage with two more hill prairies, Jim began learning about fire-dependent ecosystems and was determined to steward them. “I began to realize I needed some advice on what to do, and in 2002, I came across an organization that is solely dedicated to preserving prairie remnants in the Upper Midwest. I find The Prairie Enthusiasts to be a perfect community for sharing knowledge among those dedicated to prairie and savanna restoration.”