Northfield, Minn.––Nancy Braker, formerly the director of conservation of Baraboo Hills and western uplands for The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin, has been named the Director of the Cowling Arboretum at Carleton College.
Braker is charged with increasing the role of Carleton’s Arboretum in conservation, education, and in the sustainability of its lands. She will manage and develop all of the natural and educational resources within the arboretum, maintain and extend the restoration of native communities, initiate a long-term planning process for the arboretum, supervise arboretum staff and student workers, and maintain the trail system. In addition, Braker will develop outreach programs for faculty, staff, students and the public, ensuring the arboretum’s natural and educational resources are used effectively and sustainably.
Braker earned a bachelor of arts degree from Carleton in 1981 and a master’s of science degree in entomology from the University of Minnesota in 1986. She worked for The Nature Conservancy since 1985, and in Wisconsin since 1988 in a variety of roles. Since 2003 she served as director of conservation in the Baraboo Hills and western upland district, supervising the work of a five-person office to conserve and manage a large forested landscape, overseeing more than 10,000 acres of land. Prior to that appointment she was agency relations director for fire and invasive species, developing strategies to use fire as a management tool and reduce the threat of invasive species within the state.
From 1988-2001 Braker held the director of science and stewardship spot for the Wisconsin chapter of The Nature Conservancy, directing all aspects of land management, planning and science efforts. She served as a liaison to public agencies on land management issues as well.
Braker is a founding member of the Friends of Rowan Creek and served on that group’s board of directors. She was a board member of the Friends of MacKenzie Environmental Education Center from 1999-2004 as well.
Carleton College’s Cowling Arboretum, a state game refuge, consisting of approximately 800 acres of land adjacent to the College, was created under the leadership of Carleton President Donald J. Cowling and professor Harvey E. Stork in the 1920s. The “Arb,” as it is affectionately known by Carleton and Northfield area community members, serves three purposes: education, conservation and recreation. For more information on the Cowling Arboretum, visit its website at http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/.
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