Bonnie Nash, Habitat Restoration Manager
Bonnie Nash is OCWD’s Habitat Restoration Manager based at Prado Basin. Bonnie is a self-taught expert on wildlife and endangered species, and only one of six people who have a permit to work with the threatened Santa Ana Sucker fish.
She also is becoming a leading expert on the Southwest Willow Flycatcher. Bonnie is a quick study, excelling in her field ahead of others with more formal training. She provides tours for college students in exchange for their assistance with OCWD’s planting efforts. Once the Prado wetlands are reconstructed, Bonnie will also lead the bird watcher/wetlands tour program. Bonnie is truly a dedicated steward of the environment and routinely works on weekends. Arundo (arundo donax) is a non-native, abundant bamboo-like grass that can grow to be 25 feet tall and grows up to 10 inches per day, shutting out native vegetation and consuming enormous amounts of water. Prior to mowing removed Arundo, Bonnie made sure to move several of the more endangered animals including a rare reptile and the Red Sided Gardner Snake. She approaches her tasks with contagious enthusiasm and she has a strong work ethic. She even relocated closer to Prado to spend more time at her job. Her tenacity and skill has won her the respect of her peers. As employee of the year, Bonnie will have her picture on a plaque displayed in her honor in the hallway of the District for the entire year; permanent acknowledgement on the District’s Web site and an employee recognition program (ERP) award with two days off with pay.