Adam joined Friends of the Rouge in March 2024 as a Restoration Assistant. A native of West Michigan, his love affair with freshwater and natural resources was heavily inspired by the nearby Lake Michigan shoreline and the wooded wetlands and tributaries that feed Mishigami.
Adam graduated from Michigan State University in 2004 with a degree in Supply Chain Management and spent 18 years in the private sector in southeast Michigan before joining Friends of the Rouge. Although his employment did not focus on conservation, Adam spent much of his free time volunteering with environmentally focused groups in the area, removing invasive species, planting native plants, and educating volunteers on their benefits. In 2021 Adam embarked on a lifelong dream of starting a native plant nursery, Michiganense Natives, in his back yard and today serves as owner and nursery manager of the retail location in Plymouth, MI.
Adam is an MSU Conservation Steward, Master Rain Gardener, member of the Oakland County Conservation District Board of Directors, member of Wayne County Wild Ones, and a Michigan Certified Natural Shoreline Professional.
Working with Friends of Rouge allows Adam to help be a force multiplier for green stormwater infrastructure in SE Michigan and continue to educate people on the benefits of native plants and rain gardens.
In his free time, Adam enjoys backpacking, trail running, paddling, fishing, botanizing, and wandering the natural world with his wife and 4 kids.