Dr. Stacy Small-Lorenz
Dr. Stacy Small-Lorenz joined UME as a Residential Landscape Ecologist focusing on promoting practices to improve wildlife habitat and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. She has studied, taught, and practiced conservation science in the Northeastern, Midwestern, and Western U.S. for over three decades, but has called Maryland home for almost 15 years. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the Avian Ecology Lab of University of Missouri-Columbia and a B.A.S. in Ecology and Photography from Yale University and The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA
Her doctoral dissertation evaluated songbird population response to riparian habitat restoration in the Sacramento River Valley of California, in conjunction with Point Blue Conservation Science, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy. She has worked professionally in many facets of wildlife habitat restoration including design, implementation, research & monitoring, education, outreach, and environmental advocacy. After work in conservation practice, she served for nearly a decade in senior science positions at the Environmental Defense Fund and The National Wildlife Federation. For the past several years, she has taught secondary science for Montgomery County Public Schools while raising her 12-year-old son to become a bright young scientist, adventurous musician, and champion speedskater. In her down time, Stacy enjoys singing, tending her native plants and bird habitat, documenting visiting pollinators on iNaturalist, dabbling in botanical illustration, cross-country skiing in the winter and gazing at dragonflies from a kayak in the summer. She is happily settled with her husband Eric, son Avery, one dog and three strictly indoor cats in Olney, MD. She is extremely excited for the opportunity to work with Maryland residents to help ensure healthy future outcomes for Chesapeake Bay ecosystems and communities.
Stacy’s contact information is:
Stacy Small-Lorenz, Ph.D.
Agent, Residential Landscape Ecology | Bay-Wise Landscape Management Program Lead
Central Maryland Research and Education Center
4240 Folly Quarter Road | Ellicott City, MD 21042
sslorenz@umd.edu | (301) 226-7634
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Lisa Kuder
Lisa Kuder is our new Native Plants & Landscapes Specialist. She is a UMD alum with an MS in Entomology and a 2nd MS from Hood College in Environmental Biology. While at UMD, she worked with the Maryland Department of Transportation on Integrated Vegetation Management strategies that support pollinating insects via natural regeneration of native wildflowers. She also partnered with the UK company Wildflower Turf, Ltd. leading efforts to grow Maryland natives using their rapid meadow technology. This partnership included exploring the market potential for native wildflower sod in the Mid-Atlantic through 100+ customer discovery interviews with growers, retailers, and landscape professionals. Lisa has also served as a high school teacher in Frederick, MD teaching all levels of chemistry and Advanced Placement environmental science. In her spare time, she loves going to concerts with her kids, helping her daughter at regional dressage shows, reading, and exploring the world. She is thrilled to be a part of our amazing UME team and looks forward to spreading her passion for native landscapes.
Lisa’s major responsibilities will align closely with the recently legislated Maryland Native Plants Program (MNPP). The Program, designed to increase the understanding of the importance and supply of native plants in Maryland is the result of a state legislatively approved bill and will involve several partners including the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Maryland Native Plant Society (MNPS). More information on the MNPP Bill can be found at this link.
Lisa can be contacted at:
Lisa Kuder
Native Plants & Landscapes Specialist
University of Maryland Extension | Clarksville Facility
4240 Folly Quarter Road | Ellicott City, MD 21042
lkuder@umd.edu | (301) 226-7635