Bob Breen: Fitzgerald Marine Reserve's First Park Ranger

Bob Breen: Fitzgerald Marine Reserve's First Park Ranger. . The beginning , In 1969, James V. Fitzgerald and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a bill officially designating Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. That same year, Bob Breen was hired as its first Ranger. Within one year of parks management, more than 800 incidents of people illegally removing intertidal organisms for food, aquarium specimens or souvenirs were reported. One person collected 42 ochre sea stars with the intention of hanging them in his house. A 1969 log book entry stated, "A group of 7th grade biology students (275) were here and left the place buried in litter." Breen soon realized that education was the true gateway to effective stewardship. He kept meticulous, hand-written logs of how many individual organisms were taken and organized them by species and year. He enlightened neighbors, instructors and the many local kids who frequented the reserve to the hidden wonders of the reef. He dove beneath cold Pacific water to become familiar with subtidal geology and off shore species. He studied every aspect of the reserves natural resources. Bob was ready to start teaching! , Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Life Refuge , In 1973, Bob initiated a first-of-its-kind public education program designed to preserve and protect the reserve for future generations. Bob saw the opportunity to turn unintentionally destructive field trips into meaningful lessons about ecology and stewardship by forming "the seashore docents". Bob undertook the task of teaching the new docents about marine biology and how to guide school groups. Bob taught every session of volunteer naturalists from the first class in the early 1970's until his retirement from County Parks in 2004. , In 1987, under Bob's guidance, the Friends group introduced a successful junior naturalist summer program. The group has sponsored studies to define visitor impact on inter-tidal habitat as well as a marine science scholarship program in Breen's name. The Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve take over 5,000 school children on tours every year! Bob's legacy lives on in every volunteer. , Retirement and beyond , Though he possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of California coast biology, Bob felt he lacked the academic credentials to be a credible participant in the process of implementing the Marine Life Protection Act. , In 2007, at age 67, he obtained a master's degree in marine biology. He spent long hours driving hundreds of miles to attend meetings, review research papers and work with stakeholders. He educated lawmakers and the public on the benefits of Marine Protected Areas. , On May 1, 2010, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve became part of the larger Montara State Marine Reserve. Breen was a soft-spoken man with a ready smile and warm manner. He was a patient teacher and a good listener. He was a true naturalist. We give him our deepest gratitude for decades of service to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and the California coast.