2024 Environmental Speaker Series - Bill Hoyer
Have you ever wondered what it takes to repair habitat to support a particular species? Is it as easy as digging a hole, sowing seeds, and watering, or so difficult that it takes a lifetime of trial and error to learn a few valuable lessons? In this talk we’ll tour San Nicolas Island and discuss restoring habitat for the previously endangered island night lizard of San Nicolas Island (SNI). The island night lizard (Xantusia riversiana) was listed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in 1977, then delisted in 2014, marking a great success for both island managers and the lizard. We will look at habitat repair on San Nicolas Island starting in the 1940's until the present, and how that recovery benefits the island night lizard as well as other species that call SNI home.
Bill Hoyer has worked as a Natural Resources Manager on San Nicolas Island (SNI) since 2012. Bill has spent most of his professional career managing natural resources on islands, from Vanuatu and Guam to our very own Channel Islands. His professional interests include intertidal monitoring, native plant habitat restoration, rare plant populations management, island food web development, invasive plant control, island biosecurity, and land snail diversity and management. His programs seek to be innovative and effective at the population and landscape level and often involve collaborations with external researchers and practitioners across multiple disciplines. Outside of work, Bill spends time with his family and enjoys outdoor activities near their home in Santa Paula.
