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Natural Areas Training Academy Graduate Profiles
Zachary A. Prusak
zprusak@tnc.org
Zachary A. Prusak has been the Florida Fire Manager for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) since January 2005. The Florida Chapter of TNC owns and manages approximately 49,000 acres of conservation land in Florida, most of which requires some level of fire management. As the Florida Fire Manager, Zach supports members of the Florida Fire Team, which represent the on-site fire leaders and crew at places such as the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, the Disney Wilderness Preserve and the Tiger Creek Preserve by making sure they have the training necessary to safely implement prescribed fires. Zach also leads prescribed fires on areas that have no on-site fire staff. He also works with state, federal, local and private conservation groups in order to promote fire training opportunities and facilitate fire-on-the-ground partnerships, while serving as the Florida TNC liaison on national fire issues.
Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy, Zach was the South Region Land Manager for the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, conducted fires and studied mosquito populations with the Reedy Creek Improvement District, and worked as a Biologist for the Florida Park Service. Zach has over 17 years' experience working with prescribed fire, and is qualified as a Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2). Zach holds both an M.S. and B.S. in Biology from the University of Central Florida.
He has served as the Chair of the Central Florida Prescribed Fire Council, and is an active member of the International Association of Wildland Fire and the National Center for Science Education.
Besides fire, Zach's other interests include the study of ant biology and diversity. In August of 2001, Zach participated as an instructor in the international Ant Course held in Arizona, and in April of 2006, he traveled to Dominica with Mark Deyrup of the Archbold Biological Station to perform an ant diversity study of the island.
Zach graduated from the Natural Areas Training Academy in May of 2001.
