Staff Spotlight: Mary Paul
Mary Paul’s journey to becoming the Open Space Authority’s Habitat Program Manager surprisingly starts in New York City. Born in India, Mary’s family moved to New York City when she was four years old. While Mary spent most of her childhood in an urban setting, she often traveled to India to visit her family’s tropical farm. It was there on the farm where Mary first found joy in connecting with nature, food and the environment. “I was always happy on the farm,” Mary remembered.
Mary Paul and her mother collect mulberries from a tree.
Mary's passion for plants continued to blossom while volunteering at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens rose garden. “Plants hold so much wisdom that’s hard to get from a textbook,” Mary said. “Plants have helped shift how I view and process things and have allowed me to slow down and take time to understand what they need.” It was here at the Gardens where she spotted a flyer for an internship with Seeds of Success, a national seed collection project from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This project aimed to collect, conserve and develop native plant materials for stabilizing, rehabilitating and restoring lands across the United States. Mary landed the internship, a position through Americorps, and moved out to Monterey, California to begin work.
For a year and a half, Mary worked alongside BLM botanists and volunteer crews who provided her with a wealth of knowledge about native plants. Once her internship ended, Mary joined California State Parks as a Natural Resource Aide where she worked on restoration projects in the Monterey District, managed a nursery and learned about plant propagation. She then made her way over to the Watsonville Wetlands Watch, a small, local nonprofit organization, where she worked as a stewardship manager. In her role, Mary supported local farmers by helping them apply best management practices for water quality improvement, erosion control and exotic weed management. She also ran the agency’s nursery and helped facilitate volunteer events on the weekends.
In 2018, Mary became the Stewardship Specialist and Native Plant Program Manager at Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve in Moss Landing where she primarily worked on restoration and stewardship projects in upland habitats, or areas located above natural flood or wetland areas. Here, she dipped her toes in fire ecology and managed a fuels reduction project that removed eucalyptus trees to support freshwater ponds, wetlands and oak woodland habitats while also reducing wildfire risk for the community. Wildfire resiliency was one of the primary reasons Mary became interested in the Habitat Program Manager position with the Open Space Authority.
Mary stands next to a Weiler Track Feller Buncher, forestry equipment that helped cut and stack eucalyptus trees for wildfire prevention.
I was really excited at the prospect of diving deeper into the world of fuels management to develop the Authority’s Wildfire Resiliency Program.
This fall and next spring, Mary will help coordinate a series of prescribed fires at preserves managed by the Open Space Authority. These planned fires aim to reduce the amount of fuels (dry vegetation) also known as fuels management, in open space, promote healthy native habitats and protect watersheds from the impacts of catastrophic wildfires.
When she’s not caring for plants, improving the community’s wildfire resilience or determining how the Open Space Authority can restore natural and working lands, Mary spends her time outside, either kayaking or participating in triathlons. “I love the water and getting movement in, but I’m not an athlete or competitive. I typically aim for last place,” Mary shared. This is a true testament to Mary’s character: humble and happy to just exist in the present moment. While she may get last place in triathlons, Mary comes in first for her skills in land stewardship and habitat protection.
In her free time, Mary loves to stay active and travel. Combining those two passions, Mary spent a month biking through Sri Lanka.