Natural Lands Faculty and Staff

Director of Natural Lands

Charles Umbanhowar Jr. (he/him)
Regents Hall 412
507-786-3397
ceumb@stolaf.edu
Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies

The Director of Natural Lands directs habitat restoration and maintenance of St. Olaf’s Natural Lands, encourages sustainable use of agricultural lands, and develops educational and recreational opportunities for St. Olaf and the broader Northfield community. The director also continuously monitors and maintains the restored areas, manages invasive species, and prioritizes projects on the Natural Lands to maintain biodiversity.

After attending Carleton College for his undergraduate degree, where he was one of Carleton’s first student naturalists, Umbanhowar received his Ph.D. in Botany and Entomology from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1989. He spent a year doing rare plant survey work for the North Dakota Natural Heritage inventory and came to St. Olaf in 1991. At St. Olaf, Umbanhowar has served as chair of the Departments of Biology and Environmental Studies and manages the Regents Hall of Natural Science Greenhouse. His research interests range from the impact of animal disturbances (e.g., bison wallows) on plant diversity at the Ordway Prairie in South Dakota, to paleoecology, specifically, the analysis of charcoal, preserved in lake sediments, as a proxy for fire. Charcoal research sites have included the Dakotas, Minnesota’s Big Woods region, Manitoba’s tundra-forest border, Isle Royale, Eastern Labrador, and western Mongolia. His research has recently expanded to include using satellite and drone-based remote sensing of peatlands to understand the responses of Arctic ecosystems to climate change. He has worked with many students on research related to fire and prairie ecology and GIS mapping. His recent teaching includes Introductory Biology, Remote Sensing and GIS, and Science Conversations courses.

The Director of Natural Lands position was established because of a generous gift from Don Nelson in establishing the Henry and Agnes Nelson Family Endowment for Natural Lands and Environmental Science.

Natural Lands Manager

Wes Braker (he/him)
Regents Hall 212
507-786-2159
brakerw@stolaf.edu
Natural Lands Manager

Wes Braker ‘18 is the Natural Lands Manager. He oversees the management of the Natural Lands. An essential part of the job is managing invasive species and introducing new species in restored areas as needed to maintain and enhance biodiversity in our forest, prairie, and wetland habitats. He also oversees student workers and works with faculty and staff to develop projects and enhance the use of the Natural Lands.

Before graduating from St. Olaf, Wes was a student naturalist and researcher on various projects in the Natural Lands, surveying organisms from trees to frogs and leading walks to help others learn about local natural history. After St. Olaf, Wes worked as a plant community intern at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (University of Minnesota) and as a plant healthcare technician at Rainbow Treecare, before beginning graduate work at the University of Minnesota in the Conservation Sciences program. He plans to continue his graduate work, studying local adaptation in the native grass little bluestem and restoration ecology, while working as the Natural Lands Manager. At St. Olaf, Wes looks forward to improving biodiversity in the Natural Lands, expanding on-campus outreach opportunities, and working closely with students to improve ecological and native ecosystem understandings.

Natural Lands Assistant

Olivia Hebblewhite ‘25 is the Natural Lands assistant. She helps supervise and work alongside the technicians, student naturalists, and other staff with seed collection, plant monitoring and restoration, invasive removal, trail maintenance, and other land management tasks. She also corresponds with students and faculty about research pertaining to the Natural Lands. From student projects to new species documentation to fun pictures, she consolidates information about the Natural Lands for the St. Olaf community and beyond on the website. 

Growing up in Madison, WI, Olivia has always been an avid hiker with a love for sunshine, participating in land restoration volunteering throughout high school. As a St. Olaf student, Olivia participated in the Oregon Extension, where she gained hands-on skills in sustainable food cultivation. After graduating with degrees in English and Environmental Studies, Olivia sought further familiarity with the conservation field through the Natural Lands internship. This semester, she looks forward to improving her plant ID, mastering the chainsaw, recording baby birds on Bluebird Trail, spotting owls, and adding to the Natural Lands website.