Hudsonia employs a staff, is directed and advised by its boards, and relies on the assistance of its research associates.

HUDSONIA STAFF

ADMINISTRATION/SUPERVISORY GROUP

Erik Kivat, PhD, Executive Director. A lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley and a Hudsonia co-founder, Erik has studied the plants and animals of the region for 40 years and has authored or co-authored 80 publications and 200 technical assistance reports on wetland ecology, rare species conservation, habitat ecology, introduced species, the Hudson River, and other subjects. Erik is the author of The Northern Shawangunks: An Ecological Survey; Hudson River East Bank Natural Areas; and Hackensack Meadowlands, New Jersey, Biodiversity: A Review and Synthesis. He is a Certified Wetland Scientist.

Robert E. Schmidt, PhD, Associate Director. A co-founder of Hudsonia, Bob has graduate degrees in fisheries management and ichthyology and a broad background in aquatic ecology and northeastern fauna. He teaches at Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Bob has published numerous papers on limnology, water quality, fisheries, and fish biology. His research interests are in biogeography, larval fishes, migratory fishes, endangered fishes, the fishes of Guyana, use of fish communities for environmental assessment, aquatic invertebrates, the Hudson River, and the ecology of streams, lakes, and estuaries.

Gretchen Stevens, BS, Director of the Biodiversity Resources Center. Gretchen has 25 years experience in remote sensing, habitat assessments, habitat mapping, rare plant surveys, and other field biology in the Northeast and elsewhere in the U.S. She is co-author of the Biodiversity Manual for the Hudson River Estuary Corridor and A Beginner’s Guide to Wild Flowers of the Northeast, and has authored numerous technical reports on biological assessments, rare plant surveys, and other subjects. Gretchen manages the GIS laboratory at Hudsonia, curates the Bard College Field Station Herbarium, and supervises, the Habitat Mapping Program and the Biodiversity Education Program of the BRC.

Linda Spiciarich, AA, Administrator

TECHNICAL GROUP

Chris Graham, MS, Biologist

Ingrid Haeckel, MA, Biologist

FIELD SCIENCE GROUP

Kristen E. Bell Travis, MS, Biologist. A graduate of Oberlin College, Kristen has a broad-based background in natural history, field work, and teaching. Before joining Hudsonia in 2005, she spent four years working in tropical ecology. Her Master’s research (Florida International University) focused on forest fragmentation in Costa Rica and its effects on the community structure of frogs and lizards. Kristen works on habitat mapping projects, biodiversity assessments, and studies of rare plants and animals.

James G. (Spider) Barbour, BS, Field Biologist. Spider studied entomology and ecology at Cornell University. He has more than 25 years of field experience in the Hudson Valley, where he has specialized in botanical, reptile, amphibian, and insect surveys, habitat assessments, and ecological mapping projects. He is coauthor of Wild Flora of the Northeast. Spider lives in Ulster County.

Kathleen A. Schmidt, MS, Illustrator and Entomologist. Kathy was an entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History and has more than 25 years of experience in invertebrate identification and classification and biological illustration. Kathy has illustrated News from Hudsonia for 19 years, and she created over 100 illustrations of plants and animals for Hudsonia’s Biodiversity Assessment Manual. She lives in Columbia County.

HUDSONIA BOARDS

Board of Directors

• Enrique Diaz-Alvarez, PhD, ForSix Asset Management/JBS
• Philippa Dunne, MA, Chair; The Liscio Report
• Ann Gabler, BA, Bard College
• Jim Glomb, BA, Final Draft
• Amy Kirk, M.Arch
• Mark Lindeman, PhD, Communications Secretary
• William T. Maple, PhD, Assistant Treasurer; Bard College
• Phillippa Ewing (Non-Board Member of Development Committee)

Advisory Board

• Robert Boyle, MA, environmental writer
• James Challey, PhD, physicist (Vassar Coll.)
• Elizabeth Farnsworth, PhD, ecologist (Harvard Forest)
• Richard Feldman, PhD, ecologist (Marist Coll.)
• Maurice Hinchey, U.S. House of Representatives
• Samantha Kappagoda, MBA, Risk Economics Limited
• Felicia Keesing, PhD, ecologist (Bard College)
• Jane Meigs, Millbrook School (Millbrook, NY)
• Jonathan Meigs, Trevor Zoo, Millbrook School (Millbrook, NY)
• Marcus Molinaro, New York State Assembly
• David K. A. Mordecai, MBA, PhD, Risk Economics Limited
• Frederick Osborn III, investment advisor (Garrison, NY)
• C. Lavett Smith, PhD, fish biologist, retired (American Museum of Natural History)
• Laura Tessier, MS, ecologist (Tessier Environmental Consulting)
• René VanSchaack (Greene Co. Industrial Development Agency)

Hudsonia Research Associates

• Bill Bakaitis, MA, mycologist, Clinton Corners, NY
• Robert Brauman, MS, restoration ecologist, herpetologist, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Staten Island, NY
• Joseph T. Bridges, PhD, botanist, Gardiner, NY
• Robert Buchsbaum, PhD, coastal ecologist, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Wenham, MA
• Robert Dirig, MS, field biologist, illustrator, Bailey Hortorium, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY
• Michèle Dominy, PhD, anthropologist, Bard Coll.
• Stuart E. G. Findlay, PhD, aquatic ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY
• Hank Gruner, BS, herpetologist, Science Center of Connecticut, New Haven
• Michael Hardy, BA, videographer, photographer, Michael Hardy Productions, Nyack, NY
• C. Barre Hellquist, PhD, botanist, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA
• Paul C. Huth, MA, botanist, Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz, NY
• Jerry C. Jenkins, BS, botanist, White Creek Field School, White Creek, NY
• Eric F. Karlin, PhD, botanist and plant ecologist, Ramapo Coll., Mahwah, NJ
• Paul Kellar, JD, attorney, Kellar & Kellar, Kingston, NY
• Thomas R. Lake, MA, field biologist (NYSDEC and Dutchess Community College)
• Karin Limburg, PhD, ecosystem and fish ecologist, State University of New York, Syracuse
• Kristi MacDonald-Beyers, PhD, ecologist, Bernardsville, NJ
• Stephen Nyman, PhD, ecologist, herpetologist, Bellingham, WA
• Peter J. Petokas, PhD, ecologist, herpetologist, Lycoming College, PA
• Donald R. Roeder, PhD, limnologist, botanist, Simon’s Rock Coll., Berkshire Environmental Research Center, Great Barrington, MA
• A.E. Schuyler, PhD, botanist, retired, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
• Michael J. Sebetich, PhD, limnologist, William Paterson Coll., Wayne, NJ
• Loretta Stillman, MS, aquatic ecologist, Hudson Valley Community Coll., Troy, NY
• Chris Swarth, MS, ornithologist, ecologist, Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Lothian, MD
• Kristin E. Westad, MS, botanist, Columbus, OH
• Dennis F. Whigham, PhD, ecologist, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD

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Hudsonia, a tax-exempt not-for-profit corporation of the State of New York, classified 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service, relies on the generous, tax-deductible contributions from members of our community to sustain our research and education. We appreciate your support of our work.