About Us

The BioServices team is composed of biologists and ecologists with extensive backgrounds in research and environmental consulting. This marriage of skills allows for an in-depth understanding of your project’s needs as they relate to both the regulatory and environmental settings.

With more than 300 years of combined experience, the San Diego Natural History Museum is a leader in the natural sciences and a renowned center for the scientific study of natural history, biological diversity, and evolution within our region. Our staff contribute to conservation through scientific research, monitoring, and public outreach and education.

Meet our core BioServices staff:

Kevin Clark, M.S., Director of BioServices

With more than 26 years of experience in scientific research and environmental consulting, Kevin manages and conducts surveys for a wide range of endangered species; holds permits to nest search, monitor, and band rare and endangered passerines, shorebirds, and seabirds; writes management plans for small and large properties; conducts general vegetation surveys and focused rare plant surveys; and is authorized to handle Flat-tailed Horned Lizards. He has extensive experience with management and monitoring of endangered species, having served as regional recovery coordinator for the threatened Western Snowy Plover and authored the Critical Habitat and Listing Rule for the California Gnatcatcher.


Kimberly Ferree, M.S., Ecologist / Ornithologist / Biostatistician

Kim has over 25 years of focused research experience, from study conception and design to fieldwork, data analysis, and reporting. She has designed and directed numerous avian field studies including life history, community, post-fire, and behavioral studies. She has federal and state permits to survey and nest monitor California Gnatcatcher, Least Bell’s Vireo, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and has worked extensively with all four species. She has a strong statistical background in multivariate statistical analyses, utilizing software such as SYSTAT, SAS, and R.

Drew Stokes, Field Biologist / Bat Specialist

With over 25 years of biological experience, Drew specializes in surveys for bats and herpetofauna, and is familiar with the vertebrates and invertebrates of southern California. He is permitted for the capture and handling of bats and the federally endangered arroyo toad. He is highly experienced with all bat research techniques including the acoustic identification of bat echolocation calls, mist netting, roost survey techniques, and radio telemetry. He is a contributing author to the San Diego County Mammal Atlas and sole author of the 22 bat species accounts therein.

Brenna Ogg, Senior Biologist / Business Development

Brenna has more than 15 years of local experience in field biology and environmental consulting, and is a County of San Diego approved CEQA consultant for biological resources. She manages and conducts general biological assessments and impact analyses, environmental compliance monitoring, vegetation mapping, habitat restoration, mitigation implementation and monitoring, and focused surveys for sensitive species in central and southern California, and southwestern Arizona. She maintains federal and state permits to conduct protocol surveys for Quino Checkerspot Butterfly, listed vernal pool branchiopods (e.g., fairy shrimp), and California Gnatcatcher.

Curators, scientists, and associates in the museum’s research departments also regularly serve as extensions of our BioServices staff, giving you direct access to the specialists who “wrote the book” on the plants, birds, and mammals of our region.

Botany
Jon Rebman, Ph.D., Curator
Layla Aerne Hains, M.S., Collections Care
Margie Mulligan, M.S., Botanist
Anna Arft, Ph.D., Botanist
Sula Vanderplank, Ph.D., Botanist

Entomology
Pamela Horsley, Interim Curator of Entomology, Collection Manager & Collections Registrar

Herpetology
Bradford Hollingsworth, Ph.D., Curator
Frank Santana, M.S., Collections Manager
Dean Leavitt, Ph.D., Herpetologist
Jessica Barba, Field Technician

Birds and Mammals
Philip Unitt, Curator
Scott Tremor, Mammalogist
Lori Hargrove, Ph.D., Ecologist
Lea Squires, Field Ornithologist