Dr. Oren David Pollak (1959-1998)

In December, 1998 Oren and his wife, Suki Herman Pollak, died in a car accident while on vacation in Tasmania. They were survived by their infant son, Noah.

Oren was an ecologist who served as the statewide Stewardship Ecologist and later as the Regional Ecologist with The California Nature Conservancy between 1990 and 1997. He also was the Director of Stewardship for The Oregon Nature Conservancy from 1997. Prior to work with the Conservancy, Oren taught ecology and researched alpine plant ecology at the University of Colorado and the University of California at Davis, conducting his doctoral work at 12,500 feet elevation in the White Mountains near Bishop, California.

He was widely regarded as an expert in natural area management, ecological monitoring, grassland restoration, control of non-native species, and using prescribed fire to restore and enhance native plant communities and rare species. He was a devoted husband and proud father, avid backpacker and backcountry skier, softball enthusiast, and skilled photographer.