The Institute for Regional Conservation
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

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Affiliation and Contact Information

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Specialization

Biological inventory/monitoring, vegetation mapping/GIS, ecological restoration, prescribed fire, and exotic plant control.

Other Skills

Database management primarily with Microsoft Access; Utilize ArcGIS software and ArcPad for mapping and geographic data collection in the field. Read, write, and speak Spanish moderately fluently.

Education

Bachelor of Science, 1990, University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Professional Experience

Senior Biologist

The Institute for Regional Conservation. January, 2007-present.

Responsible for assisting with the development and implementation of IRC's research and conservation programs in southwestern Florida and Central America. Projects include long-term monitoring of restoration projects associated with the Everglades Restoration (CERP), exotic plant mapping, vegetation monitoring, and the development of management recommendations for conservation areas managed by federal, state and local agencies.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Panther & Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuges, Naples, Florida. 2004 – 2007.

Conducted vegetation sampling including re-sampling of transects after 8-9 years for evaluation of effects of prescribed burning and exotic control as well as establishing a baseline condition prior to use of heavy equipment to remove cabbage palms (Sabal palmetto) on Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Utilized ArcGIS and GPS with ArcPad to survey exotics, Threatened and Endangered plant species, and habitat types and generated maps for marsh/mangrove interface areas of Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuges. Managed all exotic control efforts and assisted with hydrological and faunal monitoring on both refuges.

Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, Picayune Strand State Forest, Naples, Florida. 2002-2004.

Biologist for 70,000 acres of preserved land, primarily wetlands, on the western edge of the “Save our Everglades” restoration project. Coordinated biological inventory and monitoring within the state forest including pre-hydrological restoration baseline data. Utilized ArcView, aerial photographs, and GPS units to generate maps habitat types, roads, trails and plow lines, and threatened and endangered species especially the red-cockaded woodpecker. Ground truthed and generated maps of exotic species distributions and coordinated/mapped all exotic plant removal/treatments in forest. Compiled fire history data into GIS, wrote burn prescriptions, and assisted with prescribed burns and wildfire suppression including functioning as burn boss for burns up to 1000 acres. Conducted post-burn evaluations.

Panther Island Mitigation Bank, Naples, Florida. 1999-2001

Functioned as project biologist responsible for all biological inventory and monitoring on this 3,000 acre restoration site. Also managed all activities relating to fire including equipment purchases, prescribed burns, and all post-burn evaluations. Coordinated all herbicide treatments of invasive exotic species. Collected and compiled all weather and hydrological data on site.

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Sanibel, Florida. 2000.

Functioned as project biologist responsible for all biological inventory and monitoring on a 3,000 acre restoration site. Also managed all activities relating to fire including equipment purchases, prescribed burns, and all post-burn evaluations. Coordinated all herbicide treatments of invasive exotic species. Collected and compiled all weather and hydrological data on site.

University of Florida, IFAS, Southwest Florida Research & Education Center, Immokalee, Florida. 1996-1998

Primarily implemented research to determine the differences in fire effects on vegetation between winter and late spring burns on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, including forage quality for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Compiled list of species with evidence of deer browse and browse frequency. Compiled list of plant species observed on FPNWR. Completed federal fire training as well as the Interagency Basic Prescribed Fire Course in 1998. Observed and recorded fire behavior in study plots. Drafted fire management prescriptions for management units at SWFREC, and contributed to extension efforts including plant identification.

Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc., Fort Myers, Florida. 1994-1996.

Conducted inventory, vegetation mapping, wetland jurisdictional determinations, monitoring, development of management plans including prescribed fire fire and exotic control on a variety of projects throughout Central and South Florida. Worked on high-profile restoration projects such as the Little Pine Island Mitigation Bank including test study on exotic control methods, design of on-site nursery, drafting of functional assessment and baseline monitoring. Also worked with development of Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) including both floral and faunal monitoring and restoration plans. Organized over 800 plant specimens collected by previous employees into a usable herbarium format. Maintained database with basic taxonomic information and indicator status of over 3,000 species found throughout the state of Florida.

Florida Environmental, Inc. (Now Earth Balance, Inc.), Port Charlotte, Florida. 1992-1994

Conducted floral and faunal inventory and monitoring, including wetland jurisdictional determinations, for undeveloped property for private landowners primarily in Charlotte, Lee, DeSoto, and Sarasota counties. Managed all monitoring activities of the firm and designed and implemented scheduling database. Conducted protected plant and wildlife species surveys. Assisted with implementation of wetland restoration projects including exotic control and harvesting/planting crew supervision.

University of Florida, IFAS, Southwest Florida Research & Education Center, Immokalee, Florida. 1991-1992.

Primarily assisted with data collection, entry, and management for on-going research evaluating the effects of regional citrus development on wildlife including sampling on herpetofauna, small mammals, fish, and birds. Also designed and implemented study of wildlife use of vegetable fields at SWFREC. Designed and implemented analysis of habitat for the threatened Florida scrub jay to be used for a comprehensive management plan, as well as monitored scrub jay activity. Assisted with prescribed burns of scrub jay habitat at SWFREC. Compiled plant species list of the range and wildlife areas of the SWFREC facility. Supervised inmate labor treating exotics in SWFREC preserves areas.

Florida Cooperative US Fish & Wildlife Service Research Unit, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 1990.

Primarily assisted with data collection, entry, and management for on-going research evaluating the effects of regional citrus development on wildlife including sampling on herpetofauna, small mammals, fish, and birds. Also designed and implemented study of wildlife use of vegetable fields at SWFREC. Designed and implemented analysis of habitat for the threatened Florida scrub jay to be used for a comprehensive management plan, as well as monitored scrub jay activity. Assisted with prescribed burns of scrub jay habitat at SWFREC. Compiled plant species list of the range and wildlife areas of the SWFREC facility. Supervised inmate labor treating exotics in SWFREC preserves areas.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Republic of Panama. 1988.

Assisted with studies of Poison dart frog (Dendrobates spp.) ecology and social behavior in Ecuador and Panama. Traveled alone into the remote Darien Accompanied other researchers including sampling in a large forest plot on Barro Colorado Island studying the ecology of tropical trees. Assisted with green iguana research in Gamboa.

Assisted with studies of Poison dart frog (Dendrobates spp.) ecology and social behavior in Ecuador and Panama. Traveled alone into the remote Darien Accompanied other researchers including sampling in a large forest plot on Barro Colorado Island studying the ecology of tropical trees. Assisted with green iguana research in Gamboa.

Publications

Barry, M.J. 2006. Vegetation sampling from 1996 to 2006 at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Report prepared for United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Naples, Florida.

Barry, M., and S. Woodmansee. 2006. Vegetation sampling at Picayune Strand State Forest, Task 2c. Prepared for the South Florida Water Management District, Fort Myers Florida.

Main, M.B., and M.J. Barry. 2001. A checklist of non-native vascular plants observed on Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Florida Scientist. 64:95-106.

Main, M.B., and M.J. Barry. 2001. Cover and species richness of fire-influenced pine and wet prairie habitats in southwest Florida. Florida Scientist. 64:77-94.

Main, M.B., M.J. Barry., K. Portier, B.J. Harper, and G. Allen. 2000. Effects of fire on soil nutrients forage quality, and community composition on the Florida Panther NWR. Final report to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Southwest Florida REC Report No. SWFREC-IMM-2000-03.

Main, M.B., and M.J. Barry. 1999. Influence of dry and growing season fire on growth and flowering of three dominant grasses in wet prairies of southwest Florida. Society for Conservation Biology Annual Meeting (abstract).

Main, M.B., and M.J. Barry. 1998. A preliminary checklist of exotic vascular plants observed on Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. SWFREC Center Report No. SWFREC-Imm-1998-09.

Main, M.B., and M.J. Barry. 1998. A preliminary checklist of vascular plants observed on Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. SWFREC Center Report No. SWFREC-Imm-1998-08.

Main, M.B., and M.J. Barry. 1998. The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge herbarium: a regional reference for southwest Florida, description of herbarium organization and database. SWFREC Center Report No. SWFREC-Imm-1998-02.

Barry, M., and R. VanFleet. 1995. Differences in species composition and abundance of anurans in natural and created wetlands in a native landscape in S.W. Florida. Abstract in the proceedings of the 59th annual meeting of Florida Academy of Sciences, Florida Scientist, Vol. 58, supp. 1.

Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc. 1995. Florida Gulf Coast University, Phases 1B, 1C, and 1D baseline wetland monitoring report. Prepared for Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida. Contributing author.

Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc. 1995. Little Pine Island Wetland Mitigation Bank Assessment. Prepared for Mariner Properties, Inc., Fort Myers, Florida. Contributing author.

Passarella, K., and M. Barry. 1995. The use of Garlon for controlling the exotic Melaleuca quinquenervia in coastal wetlands. Abstract in the proceedings of the 59th annual meeting of Florida Academy of Sciences, Florida Scientist, Vol. 58, supp. 1.

Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc. 1994. Florida Gulf Coast University, Phase 1A baseline wetland monitoring report. Prepared for Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida. Contributing author.