Gene Bakko: Curator of Natural Lands

Because of the generous gift of Don Nelson in establishing the Henry and Agnes Nelson Family Endowment for Natural Lands and Environmental Science, the position of Curator of Natural Lands has been established. As the college's first Curator of Natural Lands, Professor of Biology Gene Bakko oversees restoration and maintenance of the college's natural habitats. Bakko is a member of the Biology and Environmental Studies faculty. In addition to his professional activities related to sustainable agriculture and natural habitat restoration, Bakko has been actively involved in developing international study opportunities in environmental biology. In 1984 he started the Biology in South India program and in 1996 he developed and organized the Environmental Science in Australia program.

Of his recent appointment, Bakko noted, "It's my dream to have a corridor of continuous natural habitat with adjacent fields of sustainable agriculture from the college's southern border along Heath Creek all the way to the north border of the college property at 320th Street. The overall design will be one that shows respect and value for the natural world that it truly deserves."