As Director of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, Brad Herrick oversees the research, teaching, and outreach mission of the 300-acre campus natural area. He works collaboratively with Preserve staff, the Preserve Committee, and Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve to support the teaching and research mission of UW–Madison and promote the Wisconsin Idea.
Brad has over 20 years of experience as a research ecologist. He was most recently the Ecologist and Research Program Manager at the UW-Arboretum where he led diverse teams of ecologists, land managers, data analysts, educators, and citizen scientists to advance the science of restoration ecology while communicating to broad audiences.
Herrick’s research interests include plant community ecology, invasion biology, and the effects of urbanization on ecosystem health. He is a founding member and co-director of the Healthy Soil Collaborative, a partnership of researchers and outreach specialists from the United States and Canada, conducting ecosystem-scale research on questions related to soil health, invasive species and sustainability.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Luther College and a master’s degree in ecosystems studies from UW–Green Bay. He is a PhD candidate in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison.