Qualifications

The following summary represents Mike's curriculum vitae prior to establishing Ecological Solutions.

Experience Summary

  • Fifteen years of ecological experience in non-profit, consultant and university settings
  • Received over $125,000 in grant funding to monitor and manage globally rare species and communities
  • Management of multiple staff members and an annual budget of $150,000
  • Site conservation planning involving the determination of target species, threat analyses, strategies and measurement of conservation success
  • Implementation of conservation strategies involving natural resource policy, invasive species management, white-tailed deer management, and outreach to private land owners and volunteer coordination
  • Research and monitoring involving rare plant and animal species including American chaffseed, small whorled pogonia, Torrey's mountain-mint, bog turtles and Northern metalmark butterflies
  • Former member of New Jersey Invasive Species Council and New Jersey Habitat Incentive Team
  • Doctoral research developing methods of predicting invasive potential of new plant introductions
  • Plant ecology research involving native plant restoration on closed landfills, animal behavioral research involving territoriality and roosting in American crows, census and diet analysis of various gull species
  • Field collection and taxonomic identification of aquatic and terrestrial vegetation, freshwater macroinvertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
  • Teaching experience at the high school and college level in biology and ecology
  • Presentations for community groups and volunteers

Education

  • Ph.D. Ecology - Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey (January 2001)
  • B.S. Biology - Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey (May 1993)

Employment History

The Nature Conservancy, Skylands Program Office, Newton, NJ (2/01-12/05)

Director of Science and Stewardship - Contributed to an ecoregional planning process by determining priority sites for conservation in New Jersey. Created site conservation plans that identified target species & communities, their threats, strategies for conservation and measurements of conservation success. Strategies employed to mitigate threats included invasive species mapping & control, active participation in New Jersey's Invasive Species Council, numerous presentations to garden clubs regarding invasive species, development of methodologies to measure forest health and implementation of a deer management program.

Managed approximately 5,000 acres (14 nature preserves) in Northern New Jersey. Prepared a $150,000 annual budget for science and stewardship activities. Supervised two land stewards, seasonal interns and volunteers. Developed an innovative outreach program called 'Partners in Private Land Conservation'. Coordinated volunteer workdays to assist in nature preserve management. Used GPS and GIS software to map natural resources. Scientific liaison to the public and individuals / organizations performing conservation work in New Jersey. Acted as interim Director of Skylands Program involving management of all aspects of administrative and conservation activities.

Rutgers University, Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, New Brunswick, NJ (9/96-1/01)

Doctoral Research - Formulated techniques to predict invasive potential of new plant introductions. Methods included comparative performance of both invasive and non-invasive non-native species and their native congeners. Specific areas of research included seed dispersal, soil seed bank dynamics, seed predation, seedling establishment and growth patterns under field and greenhouse conditions and mechanisms of competitive dominance. Publications include:

Van Clef, M. 2001. Early life stage performance of native and non-native congeners of Polygonum, Celastrus, and Parthenocissus: Assessing methods of screening new plant introductions for invasive potential. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. 166 pages.

Van Clef, M. and E.W. Stiles. 2001. Seed longevity in three pairs of native and non-native congeners: assessing invasive potential. Northeastern Naturalist 8: 301-310.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ (6/98-1/01)

Graduate Student Intern - Annual monitoring of the federally endangered American chaffseed. Research activities included effects of disturbance and prescribed burns on seedling establishment, the effect of heat on seed viability, seed longevity in the soil, population viability analysis and identifying environmental factors associated with existing colonies to determine appropriate reintroduction sites.

Roy F. Weston, Inc./REAC, U.S. EPA/ERT, Edison, NJ (8/93-8/96)

Biologist - Ecological inventory and habitat quality assessment at contaminated Superfund sites and uncontaminated reference sites. Ecological risk assessment investigating the threat of PAHs, metals, PCBs and pesticides to aquatic and terrestrial species. Researched and implemented phytoremediation of contaminated groundwater using hybrid poplar trees. Large-scale study of a PCB- and mercury-contaminated estuarine marsh that used various techniques (minnow traps, otter trawl, and hoop nets) to collect organisms (fiddler crabs, brown shrimp, killifish, spot, and diamondback terrapin) for body burden analyses.

Rutgers University, Departments of Ecology and Entomology, New Brunswick, NJ (9/91-4/95)

Field/Laboratory Research Assistant - Presented original research on plant reproductive ecology to members of the George H. Cook Honors committee. Studied insect pollination and avian fruit removal of plants in an upland restoration project on landfills. Assisted in study of plant root penetration of clay liners on landfills. Researched native flora of Staten Island, NY to determine historical context of human effects on plant diversity. Performed necropsies and identified insects in laughing gull stomachs for FAA bird-hazard-to-aircraft study. Captured, radio tagged and observed American crows as part of a roosting behavior study.

Volunteer Experience

The Nature Conservancy, Chester, NJ (5/00-10/00)

Volunteer, Rare and Invasive Species Management - Completed census of rare plant populations at preserves in northern and southern New Jersey, consulted on vegetation sampling methodology, performed invasive species control, assisted in site clean-up and trail maintenance.

Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, Pennington, NJ (5/00-9/00)

Volunteer, Consulting ecologist - Prepared vegetation assessment to strengthen arguments against proposed alignment of the Millstone bypass through ecologically sensitive habitat. Familiarized staff with flora of NJ.

New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Far Hills, NJ (7/93-7/95)

Volunteer, Restoration ecologist - Designed a woodland restoration on a five acre abandoned hay field at Fairmount Park, Califon, NJ. Prepared successful grant proposal to obtain $5,000 from the New Jersey Small Business Administration's Tree Planting Program. Monitored the installation of plant material and evaluated the project after one year. Created signs for an interpretive nature trail.

Teaching Experience

September 1996 - December 2000, Teaching Assistant - Vertebrate Zoology, General Ecology, Restoration Ecology, General Biology, Principles of Biology, and Concepts in Biology. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

January 1993 - May 1993, Student Teacher - Honors Biology and College Preparatory Chemistry, Old Bridge Regional High School, Old Bridge, NJ.