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Mattole
Salmon Group Staff: (top row, from left) Amy Baier, Keytra
Meyer, Jill Grbavac. (Bottom row, from left) Sean James,
Campbell Thompson, Tom Campbell, Drew Barber, Reid Bryson, Linda
Yonts
Executive
Director - Tom Campbell
Tom has been with the Mattole Salmon Group since
May of 2005. He was born and raised in rural Mississippi, outside
of the city of Cleveland. Tom attended Clemson University for
3 years, completing his B.S. in Biology at Delta State University.
While in Mississippi, Tom accumulated field experience through
an internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, focusing
on white-tailed deer and waterfowl, and by working for the state
of Mississippi conducting research on fish health and nutrition.
Tom also has done work with the largest catfish farm in the world
as the assistant hatcheries manager. Tom accepted a position as
a fisheries biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
in California in 2002, and he relocated to Arcata. There, he worked
at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge and along the Trinity
and Klamath Rivers, conducting radio tracking and spawner surveys,
and working as the lead biologist for the Trinity River's downstream
migrant trapping. Despite the fulfilling nature of the fieldwork
at these sites, Tom wished to settle in a smaller community. Petrolia
and the Mattole Salmon Group were the ideal fit for his personal
and occupational tastes, and he has infused the MSG with new ideas
and perspectives since his arrival.
Since May, Tom has developed a new program to monitor water quality
and population dynamics with juvenile salmon in the estuary, continuously
been in close contact with NOAA and CADFG regarding permitting
issues, and developed an Adult Monitoring Program in order to
better estimate escapement numbers. Tom plans to bring a more
rigorous monitoring program to the Mattole in order to better
prioritize restoration efforts, and his general long-term aspirations
are the restoration of the Mattole River and its native salmon
populations. In his spare time, Tom is an avid outdoorsman and
enjoys the region's resources immensely, and he is thus unremittingly
inspired to conserve the natural environment.
Fisheries Biologist - Campbell Thompson
Cam
Thompson began working with the Mattole Salmon Group in 1996,
and has been instrumental to the upriver component of our fisheries
work in the Mattole watershed ever since. Cam was born in Cambridge,
MA and has lived throughout the U.S. He attended UC San Diego,
graduating in 1992 with a B.S. in Biology.
He has conducted numerous wildlife studies with Mule deer, Bald
Eagles, Mexican Spotted Owls and Northern Spotted Owls, Marbled
Murrelets, Pika, Sapsuckers, Fishers, Snowy Plover and terrestrial
Mollusks. Additionally, Cam worked with CA DFG for three years
on their Steelhead Research and Monitoring Program in Arcata.
Cam has enhanced the MSG's modern scientific techniques both in
the field and in the office, has helped MSG fundraise and has
kept projects on budget, and been involved in nearly every aspect
of the MSG's work in some way. The projects he has coordinated
include spawner surveys, adult mark and recapture, upriver LWD
projects and upriver juvenile rescue. Cam's goals for his work
with MSG include improving report writing, continuing LWD work,
and maintaining his stamina for restoration work.
Cam fell in love with Southern Humboldt county upon first visit
in 1992, and enjoys the freedom and opportunities the region and
his work provides. Cam Thompson truly loves his work and finds
that it is hard to keep it separate from his hobbies and other
aspects of his life. Campbell Thompson is not related to Tom Campbell.
Program
Director - Keytra Meyer
Keytra
was born in Moses Lake, Washington, and attended Western Washington
University in Bellingham, Washington. She graduated in 2000 with
a B.S. in Environmental Science with an emphasis in marine ecology,
and a minor in chemistry. In 2001 the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) offered her a job in Arcata. Employed by NMFS unitl
her full time postion with MSG began in Febuary 2007, she specialized
in consulting with other federal agencies regarding projects that
impact salmon and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). She also investigated
violations of the ESA. Our Executive Director, Tom Campbell, worked
with Keytra while he was employed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. He was so impressed with her skills that she was the
first person he considered when the Mattole Salmon Group had an
opening for a program assistant. Keytra graciously accepted the
position and split her time between NMFS and the Mattole Salmon
Group. Keytra is now full time at MSG, and has been promoted to
our Program Director. Keytra brings so many strengths to the Mattole
Salmon Group, including her technical writing skills and her knowledge
and familiarity with multi-agency collaboration. Keytra will be
coordinating our summer steelhead dives and temperature-monitoring
programs this year, in addition to assisting on other field season
projects. She also will be working on fundraising and project
development for the organization. Keytra's interests include hiking
and travel. When asked what she enjoys most about working with
the Mattole Salmon Group she says, "Working for a community-based
non-profit organization that works directly to restore salmon
populations. I love the area, the community and the people."
Project
Coordinator - Drew Barber
Drew
Barber has been working with the Mattole Salmon Group for over
four years. He was born in Walnut Creek, California and grew up
in tree forts in the hills of the east bay. He received his A.S.
from Feather River Community College in Physical Science, and
went on to earn his B.A. from Prescott College in Arizona, majoring
in Environmental Restoration and Education.
Drew has worked with the Mattole Restoration Council, and established
the Mattole Ecological Education Program there. He has lived and
worked in Petrolia since 1996, and thus has a strong connection
to the community and the ecology of the region. He considers himself
an eternal student of the natural world. He has coordinated four
bank stabilization/ habitat enrichment projects on the wing dam
on Lighthouse Road in Petrolia, assisted on two LWD projects in
the Mattole estuary, completed spawner surveys, DSMT, adult trapping,
and worked on MSG's former spawning program. Additionally, Drew
has participated in planning for the organization, and contributed
to the writing of the estuary chapter of the Watershed Plan.
Drew sees the MSG as a very grassroots organization, and one that
requires continuous community involvement from local residents
to sustain itself. He feels that this is immensely important because
community participation formed around an ecological resource provides
understanding of ourselves and humanity's role on the planet.
Drew is very committed to Aikido, both mentally and physically,
and holds a second degree black belt. He is involved in a Wilderness
Awareness curriculum, and enjoys fly-fishing in his spare time.
Drew and his wife Amanda are proud parents of a beautiful baby
girl.
Project Coordinator - Sean James
Sean
has been working with the Mattole Salmon Group in different capacities
since December of 2003. Sean was born in Los Angeles, California,
and graduated from the University of Texas in 2002 with a B.S.
in Biology. He worked as a biological technician for the U.S.
Forest Service during the summers of 2000 and 2003, conducting
field surveys for various endangered species in the Sierra Nevada
mountains of California and the White mountains of Arizona.
Since becoming a Mattole Salmon Group staff member, Sean has worked
on and become familiar with nearly every project, and he is the
coordinator for the Downstream Migrant Trapping program. He was
first hired as an office manager shortly after moving to Petrolia,
but seized the opportunity to coordinate DSMT. He has gained extensive
experience with a range of computer applications, and has written
approved grants and final reports. His longterm goals include
furthering M.S.G. data analysis with the help of two statistical
analysts that have offered to volunteer their time, and, of course,
helping Mattole salmon return to self-perpetuating levels.
Sean feels he has really gotten to know the Mattole river and
the local community, and has become a seamless part of them. His
motivation for the work he does comes from his love of wild animals
and his joy at being outdoors in such a beautiful valley. Further
inspiration comes from seeing juvenile salmonids leave the river
no longer than a dollar bill, and return at mind-boggling sizes,
having survived so many predators and pitfalls.Being able to swim
with them and hold them is one of Sean's passions, and Sean hopes
to be able to help M.S.G. accomplish the goal of getting huge
returns of Mattole salmon annually. Upon reaching this goal, Sean
would love to move to yet another lovely watershed and do it all
over again. Aside from restoration of native species, Sean's other
pursuits include birding, gardening, hiking with his dog Tanner,
playing his guitar, and enjoying the company of friends.
Project
Staff - Amy Baier
Amy
arrived at the Salmon Group as an AmeriCorps WSP member in the
fall of 2004, and has become an indispensible member of the staff.
Amy coordinates the summer-time temperature monitoring program,
and the series of accompanying dive surveys. She currently resides
in Half Moon Bay with her partner, Brian, and her new baby girl,
Althea. Amy remains an important part of the Salmon Group staff,
and is still working hard for the fish, even with her new job
as a mom.
Project
Staff - Jill Grbavac
Jill started at the Mattole Salmon Group in October 2005 as an
AmeriCorps member. After serving two terms of volunteer service,
she was hired on as a real member of the staff. Now she holds
the formidible positions of Office Manager and Equipment Manager,
and also works in the field on virtually every MSG project. She
grew up in Portland, Oregon and came to Humboldt county to attend
Humboldt State University. She graduated in May 2005 with a B.S.
in Natural Resources Interpretation, and spent the summer as a
California State Parks interpreter before moving to Petrolia.
Additionally, Jill has undertaken various volunteer projects with
fisheries organizations and worked as an Outdoor School leader
while in Oregon.
Since joining the Salmon Group, Jill has been involved in an array
of projects ranging from educational outreach programs to spawner
surveys and adult trapping. She has developed curricula for both
high school and elementary age students focusing on estuary and
watershed issues. Also, she has been instrumental to the organization
of MSG fundraisers and has designed brochures, shirts, interpretive
signs and flyers for MSG to use for outreach purposes. She also
edits the MSG newsletter, the Mattole Salmon Chronicle.
Jill enjoys the easygoing pace of living in rural Petrolia and
loves the connection the community has with its natural surroundings
and resources. She finds working with the fish and the river exhilirating,
and capitalizes upon the opportunity to pursue outdoor activities
such as hiking and playing at the beach in her spare time, too.
Her other interests include reading, going to see live music,
and photography.
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