RECON

#EmployeeSpotlight on Meagan Olson, Senior Restoration Ecologist/Project Manager. Meagan joined RECON in 2007 and holds a B.S. in Environmental and Resource Sciences from UC Davis. Meagan loves the tangibility of habitat restoration and working closely with RECON’s field crew to take an active role in restoring native ecosystems. She holds a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Permit to collect endangered vernal pool and upland plants and is included on the County of San Diego CEQA Consultants List for Revegetation Planning. Meagan’s interest in environmental science started in high school when her science teacher discussed career opportunities in environmental sciences. When not in the office, Meagan enjoys hiking and camping with her aspiring nature-loving sons. #restorationecologist #environmentalconsultant

RECON welcomes Vanessa Tang as a Habitat Restoration Assistant with our Restoration Division!

#Summer is upon us! The dry, hot, and sunny weather provides the perfect climate for native plants to bloom late in the season. California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) can be seen blooming throughout San Diego County, with its white, pinkish flowers. #nativeplants #buckwheat #coastalsagescrub

#Employeespotlight on Wendy Loeffler who is celebrating 23 years at RECON this month! While in high school, Wendy wanted to work with animals and shortly after discovered camping, hiking, and outdoor adventures in college. Wendy was able to combine her outdoor interests with a career and received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in #Biology from California State University, Fullerton. As a Senior Biologist and Project Manager, Wendy is experienced in conducting ge...neral biological assessments, constraints analyses, vegetation mapping, and restoration/mitigation implementation and monitoring throughout southern California. She is on the County of San Diego CEQA Consultants List for Biological Resources and holds a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Permit for vernal pool branchiopods, coastal California gnatcatcher surveys and nest monitoring, Quino checkerspot butterfly surveys, and collecting threatened and endangered vernal pool and upland plants. She also possesses a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Scientific Collecting Permit for birds, insects, invertebrates, rodents/small mammals, reptiles/amphibians, and CDFW Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard Certification. In her free time, Wendy enjoys traveling and her impressive passport shows stamps from Canada, Mexico and Central America, western Europe, and Africa. Wendy and her son enjoy road trips around the west coast and southwest and look forward to returning to international travel again soon. Wendy, Congratulations on more than two decades with RECON. We appreciate all that you bring to the team! See more

We are hiring! Get a fresh start in 2021 by checking out this Senior Project Manager position. https://www.recon-us.com/current-openings

Congratulations Susy Morales on your 15th Anniversary with RECON! Susy manages RECON’s Tucson Office and brings over 25 years of experience in NEPA compliance. Since joining RECON in 2005, Susy has prepared NEPA documents for utility, land use planning, renewable energy, infrastructure, and recreation projects in the Southwest. Her interest in the environment and wildlife started while growing up on a family ranch watching both her grandfather and father care for the local land. On the weekends Susy can be found hiking near her home in the Tucson Mountains looking for birds and other desert wildlife. #tucsonarizona #NEPA #employeespotlight

Happy New Year from RECON and the Frosted Faces Foundation! Now more than ever, we continue to be dedicated in aiding our communities both as a company and on an individual employee basis. The Frosted Faces Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operated by RECON Biologist Andrew Smisek and his wife Kelly Smisek, with the help of several volunteers. Based out of Ramona, Frosted Faces delivers the promise of family and quality veterinary care for senior animals whos...e love and lives are in jeopardy. Upon rescue, Frosted Faces provides medical care and seeks a permanent family for each animal, continuing to cover medical care for the remainder of the animal’s life while it lives out its days in a loving home. This promise is made possible through donations and the special families that welcome a senior animal into their home. Visit https://frostedfacesfoundation.org/ to learn more about how you can help. See more

#EmployeeSpotlight on Linda Evans, who has been with RECON since 1989. As a member of our Support Team, she is always willing do any task assigned to her, from copying/assembling 500-page reports to ordering field supplies and assisting Accounting. She also played a major role in our recent move to Mission Valley. Linda, with her sparkling personality, is the ultimate Team Mom at RECON, ensuring that each employee has everything they need to make their jobs easier and making them feel special on their birthdays and on holidays. Thank you Linda for all that you do!

Meet Ruth Vallejo-Reviczky RECON’s Field Director. Ruth has over 20 years of experience supervising the implementation and maintenance phases of habitat restoration projects. She has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture with a concentration in Environmental Design and emphasis on California Plant Communities. Ruth manages RECON’s restoration field crews during installation and maintenance of mitigation and revegetation projects throughout the Southern California region. Ruth’s interest in ecological restoration began while studying on the Central Coast, where she spent time hiking through the oak wooded hills, exploring the Nipomo Dunes and enjoying sunsets at Montaña de Oro State Beach. Those experiences sparked a passion for the restoration of California’s ecological treasures. #EmployeeSpotlight #habitatrestoration

RECON is celebrating California Archaeology Month! We look forward to seeing you virtually this Saturday at Arch in the Park. #archaeology #archinthepark

Since 2009, RECON has served as Preserve Steward and Biologist for the City of Chula Vista and County of San Diego at the Otay Ranch Preserve. Watch our 3-minute video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxZjpkp_eVQ

RECON staff participated with @iloveacleansd volunteers for the 36th Annual #CoastalCleanupDay!

RECON uses UAV technology to provide precision mapping while helping save our clients time and money. By collecting high resolution data with our UAV (#drone) to map vernal pools, we can reduce our field survey time as well as ensure the integrity of the vernal pools. #UAV #uavmapping #uavphotography

Approval of the Pacific Highlands Ranch (PHR) Subarea Plan in 1998 required restoration of 131 acres of disturbed agricultural land and creation of 25 acres of riparian habitat. Following a Master Restoration Plan prepared by RECON and implemented in phases as the PHR community was built out, this revegetation effort is nearing completion. RECON’s habitat restoration team has been involved since the beginning and the final remaining upland habitat acreage has been planted and will be signed off in 2023. RECON is extremely proud to have been involved with this significant habitat contribution to City of San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program.

CEQA Turns 50! Following the adoption of NEPA by the Federal government earlier in the year, California Governor Ronald Reagan signed the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) into law on September 18, 1970. CEQA was enacted to ensure informed governmental decisions, identify ways to avoid or reduce environmental impact through feasibility mitigation or project alternatives, and provide public disclosure. RECON, as part of Rick Engineering at the time, prepared one of the first EIRs under CEQA. Today, fifty years later, RECON continues to prepare CEQA documents for our private sector and public agency clients and remains one of the longest continually operating environmental consulting firms in the state. #CEQA #environmentalconsulting

Today RECON was recognized by SANDAG - San Diego Association of Governments as a 2019-2020 Platinum Tier iCommute Diamond Award Recipient. The virtual awards program acknowledges employers in the San Diego region that have made strides to develop and implement commuter programs to encourage alternative commute choices by their employees. In support of iCommute San Diego’s campaign, RECON encourages carpooling, provides MTS transit passes, provides bicycle parking and allowances for cycling equipment, and promotes flexible schedules and telework opportunities. #DiamondAwardsSD

We are excited to announce that Jack Emerson has returned to RECON as a technical analyst specializing noise, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. Jack has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and is proficient with multiple air quality, greenhouse gas, and noise models. He is experienced at preparing energy and climate action planning documents as well as environmental review for projects such as public works and infrastructure projects, transportation, commercial and retail, renewable energy, residential, entertainment venues, and healthcare facilities. Welcome back Jack!

RECON has recently provided the City of Chula Vista with their first ever on-line virtual scoping meeting. With the goal of keeping the CEQA process moving, RECON worked closely with city staff in drafting, editing, and recording the scoping meeting video that has been posted on the city’s website. The EIR scoping meeting will be available for the public to access throughout the 30-day duration of the NOP period for the EIR.

Congratulations to the City of San Diego, Dyett & Bhatia, Chen Ryan Associates, Inc. and M.W. Steele Group for the 2020 San Diego APA Comprehensive Plan Large Jurisdiction Award for the Mission Valley Community Plan. RECON is proud to be part of the environmental team that prepared the CEQA documentation for this effort and is excited to see the future of Mission Valley unfold! http://sdapa.org/2020-comprehensive-plan-large-jurisdictio/

RECON is pleased to announce the approval of two staff members for placement on the County of San Diego CEQA Consultants List for Privately Initiated Projects. Lori Spar, a Senior Environmental Analyst with RECON, was approved for the County’s EIR Preparer List. Jesse Fleming, RECON’s Senior Technical Analyst, was approved for the County’s Air Quality List and is also on the County’s approved Noise List. Congratulations Lori and Jesse!

On August 4, 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act was adopted, which will use revenues from energy development to provide up to $1.9 billion a year for five years for much needed maintenance for critical facilities in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and American Indian schools. This includes deferred maintenance projects such as repairs and upgrades of campgrounds, picnic areas, roads, trails, and other infrastructure. The law will also use royalties from offshore oil and natural gas to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million a year to invest in conservation and recreation opportunities across the country. #greatamericanoutdoorsact #glencanyon

A RECON biologist recently spotted the Crotch’s bumble bee (Bombus crotchii) on the Otay Ranch Preserve. Due to its significant population decline, the Crotch’s bumble bee is under review to be added to the California endangered species list and is considered endangered by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature.