Mike Wells:
CLASS OF 1970
Northern Highlands Regional High SchoolClass of 1970
Allendale, NJ
University of CaliforniaClass of 1974
Santa barbara, CA
San Clemente High SchoolClass of 1970
San clemente, CA
Edith A. Bogert Elementary SchoolClass of 1966
Upper saddle river, NJ
Mike's Story
Life
Attended Northern Highlands Regional High School in Alendale, N.J. 1966-68. Then my family moved to California and I attended San Clemente HS graduating in 1970. Went on to UC Barbara receiving a BA in Environmental Studies in 1974. In 1975 began a career with the California Department of Parks and Recreation as a Park Ranger. In 1984 I became a Resource Ecologist and directed the fire management program for State Parks in southern California from 1985-1993. I returned to graduate school in 1990 and completed a MA in Physical Geography in 1994 from San Diego SU, and a joint PhD in Bio Geography from UCSB and SDSU in 2001. In 2002 I accepted a position as Superintendent at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve in Imperial Beach, California. In December 2004 I became District Superintendent for the State Parks in Mendocino County along the northern California coast. In February of 2006 I was promoted to the position of District Superintendent for the Colorado Desert District which includes Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest State Park in the lower 48 states. I still surf, kayak, canoe and hike when I can. I married my wife, Marie, ...Expand for more
in 1989. Currently we are splitting time between Borrego Springs, where I work, and San Diego where she works as a professor of Biology at USD. We share our lives with 2 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a tiger salamander.
In September of 2008 I travelled with a delegation from California State Parks (at our own expense) to deliver a sister park agreement between Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Ikh Nart Chulu Nature Reserve in Dalanjargalan Soum, Mongolia. After delivering the proclamation we went on a 1,000 km tour of the country. Some of the pictures from that trip are in my photo album. Since then I have returned three more times (2009, 2010, and 2012) to help with other projects at the reserve. Also, I attended thew World Ranger Congress in Arusha , Tanzania in 2012, as the representative of the California State Park Rangers Association. While there I went on safari for two weeks with other friends who were also attending.
As of December 31st, 2009 I retired from State Service and concluded my 34 year career with California State Parks. It's been fun but I really feel it's time to move on and let some of the young folk have their turn at righting this ship.
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