Starting in 2014, Andrea Locke is the Coordinator of the Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (WNY PRISM) office. The Great Lakes Center received a five-year $1.1 million grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to establish the regional center.
Andrea brings 12 years of experience in ecology, conservation, stewardship, program development, and non-profit management to the position. She has extensive experience developing innovative methods for managing invasive species and increasing resistance to further invasion. Previously, Locke worked for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana where she employed methods including prescribed burning and planting design in the Kankakee Sands Prairie Restoration project. The project seeks to restore native ecosystems including the sand prairie and the black oak savanna. She did similar work restoring native woodlands, savannas, and prairies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. She has also worked with landowners, not-for-profits, and government agencies to identify resources and coordinate efforts to promote land stewardship.
Andrea's goal is to get people involved and excited. She looks forward to getting input from citizen scientists, government agencies, non-profits, private-sector businesses, landscapers, the agricultural community—anybody who goes outside!
