Berks Nature is pleased to announce the addition of two land protection professionals to our conservation team. “These positions are critical to our land protection efforts to conduct stewardship activities for land already protected, and to develop relationships with additional landowners in our community to continue to advance our program”, said Andrew Fetterman, Berks Nature’s Vice President for Land & Conservation.
The positions are geography-based to allow for a more targeted focus on particular landscapes and partnerships in Berks County.
Brooke Leister will lead focus on the northwest region of our community. Brooke has a degree in environmental biology from Kutztown University. Prior to joining Berks Nature, Brooke’s professional life was in wastewater management and environmental consulting. Brooke is a Berks County native and holds a deep passion for preserving our local, natural landscape and creating sustainable environments for the community.
Michael Mingus will focus on the southeast region of Berks County. Michael has a degree in Biology from the University of Dayton, with a concentration in Environmental Ecology. Michael is an Alabama native, but comes to us most recently from Maryland, where he spent time working for the USDA NRCS improving wetland and endangered species habitat. He then went on to work for the Maryland Environmental Trust, where he gained experience helping landowners protect their land through conservation easements. His passion lies in helping to conserve and enhance the natural resources in Berks County and beyond.
Brooke and Michael are primarily responsible for monitoring our 140+ conservation easement properties annually; participating in regional conservation partnership projects; and developing relationships with more landowners in our community with the goal of protecting important natural spaces. Meet Berks Nature’s Team that works hard to protect our natural resources each and every day: https://berksnature.org/about-us/meet-the-team
If you are interested in learning more about our land protection program, please contact Andrew Fetterman at andrew.fetterman@berksnature.org.