Caleb Garone serves as a member of the Natural Areas and Preserves team. As a Land Steward his work helps maintain and nurture ecological function in our natural areas. Focus areas include forest health, climate adaptation and habitat restoration. Often thinking and working in Forest Time, decades and centuries, to improve long-term ecological outcomes for generations to come. Safe public access to our Natural Areas and helping to create and maintain recreation opportunities is also a primary goal. He believes that abundant access to the natural world is the foundation of a healthy community.
Prior to joining the Leelanau Conservancy in 2022, Caleb had 10 years of public lands management experience working as a Property Steward and Habitat Specialist at the Trustees of Reservations (MA). There, Caleb led the planning and implementation of habitat restoration projects with the goal of improving ecological function and biodiversity. After moving to Michigan in 2021 for his partners career, he served as a project lead on the Forest Health team at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, working primarily on Lingering Ash and a forest inventory assessment.
Caleb enjoys experiencing the beauty and power of the natural world in many ways. He lives with his wife Gina on a forest farm in Maple City and can often be found out in the woods walking their dog Scoby, marveling at native plants, xc skiing, mountain biking, paddling, floating in the big lake, birding or slowing down and stretching out with some yoga. He also has extensive wilderness medicine experience as a member of the National Ski Patrol since 2011 and a licensed whitewater guide.
