Seth Kaduce - Executive Director, Co-Owner

Seth originated from a small suburb on the north side of the Twin Cities. After high school, in an effort to discover his family’s roots, he went on to study philosophy at the University of Northern Iowa. It was there, through a suggested chemistry class, that he discovered a true passion for anything science. From there it was off to Iowa State University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science with a heavy focus on soil science and hydrology.

After college, Seth stayed in Iowa working for a University extension doing prairie restoration and assisting with environmental programs for the public. It was only a matter of time before a longing for conifers on the horizon was too much, and he took a position with the Conservation Corps in northern Minnesota. Around that time, Seth became infatuated with the North Woods. He also honed his knowledge of conservation techniques, and began to focus on the various ways companies lacked attention to detail and pure knowledge of the subject matter. From there, he went to work with the Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a Soil and Water Conservation District.  

All this experience inevitably lead to a sobering reality of the state of our native resources. So, with an aim to restore and preserve our resources with new methods, a willingness to tackle projects with a different perspective, a readiness to learn from his mistakes, and an absolute love for hard work in the woods, he went on to start Native Resource Preservation LLC.

Eric Bergeron - Executive Director of operations, Co-owner

Eric grew up just blocks from Seth on the north side of the Twin Cities. After graduating from high school, he headed to southwestern Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He started studying mechanical engineering, but soon realized that his passion for the outdoors was calling. Eric then switched his major and graduated with a degree in Biology and Environmental Science.

He then moved home and got a job working for an ecological restoration company, restoring all types of different landscapes including: prairies, woodlands, savannas, wetlands, streams, and shorelines. His broad knowledge in many different restoration techniques is extremely useful for all sizes and types of projects—from large acreage projects all the way to small backyard pollinator gardens.

Josh Peterson - Director of Habitat Management Division

Josh grew up in southwest MN where he developed a passion for all things outdoors. He attended college at Minnesota State University-Mankato, jumping around majors until finally settling on a Bachelor’s in Resource Management. Post-college, he spent 6 years with the Conservation Corps of MN & IA, serving as both a crew leader and a field specialist.

Josh went on to work with the the MN DNR doing restoration work such as prescribed fire, tree removal, and seed collection. He also spent multiple years as a habitat specialist with Habitat Forever.

Josh’s inspiring work ethic and contagious get-things-done attitude quickly became a valued asset at NRP. His strong leadership and 15+ years of experience bring excellent habitat management services to both clients and landscapes of greater Minnesota.

TJ Lenaerts - Director of Public Lands Division

TJ earned a degree in Forestry at Iowa State University before coming to Minnesota and joining our crew. He soon became a staple on our team, moving from a Technician into a crew lead position quickly. From running heavy machines to leading felling crews to running prescribed fires as a burn boss, TJ brings a high level of technical skill, passion, and positive attitude to our projects and crews. Currently, he supervises our field crews and directs our public lands division, coordinating with our government, non-profit, and tribal partners to provide quality restoration services to our Minnesota landscapes.

Caroline Fazzio - Director of Private Lands Division

Caroline gained her appreciation of wilderness while hiking and camping as a child in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. After moving to Minnesota, her love of nature continued. She earned a degree in Environmental Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After school, she served multiple years with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, working with water quality, aquatic invasive species, and ecological restoration. She initially joined NRP as an Ecological Technician, then moved to a crew lead position, then finally stepped up to lead our Private Lands division. She has a Master’s Degree in Natural Resources Stewardship with a focus in Ecological Restoration from Colorado State University.

Nick Meixner - Director of Heavy Equipment Operations

Nick brings over 3000+ hours of operator experience to our team. He leads our fleet of heavy equipment, and supervises our crew of operators with forestry mowing, tree felling, flail mowing, and prescribed fire projects. He dedication and work allow us to bring innovative, efficient, and advanced restoration services to our clients and project partners. Nick has a Bachelors of Science in Wildlife Biology from Bemidji State University, and a minor in Wetlands Ecology.

Bryce Origer - Restoration Project Manager

Bryce’s passion for promoting biodiversity and providing opportunities for others to experience the great Outdoors led him to pursue a career in Natural Resources. He graduated from Wartburg College with a double Bachelors in Environmental Science and Spanish, and worked with Green Iowa AmeriCorps before coming to Minnesota, joining NRP as a Technician. From a technician, Bryce moved into a crew lead position where his vision of the bigger picture and impact of our work drove him to always look for ways of improving. From there he transitioned into a restoration operator, before accepting a role as a project manager. Bryce manages projects that utilize heavy equipment to achieve better quality restoration across more acres. His love of native plant communities, resources stewardship, and fire ecology inspire him daily to improve and restore native habitats.

Erik Muhlenbruck - Restoration Project Manager

Erik graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a Bachelors of Science in Field Biology. From there, he went on to work with at USACE as a park ranger, and the National Parks Service as a Biological Technician before joining the team at NRP. Starting as an Eco Technician, it didn’t take long for Erik’s steady demeanor, strong work ethic, and technical skills to drive him into a crew lead position. He leadership experience crosses a broad spectrum of projects, from prescribed fire to invasive species management to erosion control and revegetation. Erik serves as the project manager for our private and commercial clients, bridging service to the landscape and service to the customer. He is also certified as one of our UAV pilots, helping us use innovating drone technology to improve conservation efforts.

Alana Joseph - Restoration Project Manager

After joining our crew as a technician, Alana quickly went on to become a staple of our leadership team. Her experience includes work across the country from the Midwest to the West Coast, and conservation across multiple ecosystems and habitats. She brings a love for plants and keen interest in fire ecology to our daily work, providing leadership for our plant management and prescribed fire crews. Alana manages projects with our government and non-profit project partners, bringing passion and an attention to detail to every project. She also serves as the Safety Officer, providing crucial safety support to our field crews. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Studies, with a focus in Biology from Macalester College.

Nick Connell - Crew Lead

Nick has been restoring habitats with NRP for a long time. With over 10 years of experience in land management, Nick’s attention to detail and quality of work sets the standard for our team. Graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a Bachelors of Environmental Science, Nick went on to work with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota. He eventually settled roots with our Twin Cities team. Nick’s positive attitude and strong work ethic have set the example for many of our team who have learned the tools of the trade from him. Nick specializes in large tree felling, fire line operations, and forest inventory analysis.

Nicole Welsh - Crew Lead

Proudly hailing from Delaware, Nicole has traveled across the country conducting habitat improvement projects. She spent a year conducting field work for Walker Basin Conservancy in Nevada. Additionally she has worked as a crew leader with Texas Conservation Corps, restoring native habitats and removing invasive species. From Texas, Nicole joined our team and quickly showed her hard work ethic, reliability, and dedication. She leads our ground crews across a variety of landscapes, and helps improve our operations through organization and herbicide management. Nicole specializes in long-term prairie management techniques, plant identification, and fire line operations. She has a Bachelors in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Delaware.