Born and raised in Sonoma County, Prescribed Fire Apprentice Zander Ockenden has always maintained an appreciation and curiosity for California’s ecosystems. In his free time, he can be found herping (searching for reptiles and amphibians) and botanizing (observing and appreciating plant life) across California. Zander studied natural resource management and biology at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he was an intern with the Wildfire Resilience Program. Wanting to further his path working with fire ecology, he later joined LandPaths as a stewardship intern and worked for Sonoma County Regional Parks, where he was involved with prescribed fire operations and stewardship projects. Zander is excited to broaden his skills and knowledge in fire ecology.