Mary Parr, M.S.
Mary joined MNFI in 2025 as a Conservation Associate, bringing with her expertise in fire-dependent natural communities and the strategic use of prescribed fire to enhance biodiversity and support critical habitat for fire-adapted rare and endangered species. Raised in southwest Michigan, Mary developed an early passion for plants and the ecology of natural systems. She earned her BS in Natural Resource Management from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and spent her early career in the Great Plains and Midwest, where she honed her knowledge in large-scale prescribed fire, grassland management, and long-term ecological monitoring. In 2020, she returned to southwest Michigan as a land manager at a biological field station, where she spent four years overseeing conservation projects, leading prescribed fire operations, mentoring undergraduate students, and advancing the protection of rare and endangered species. During this time, she also earned an MS in Biology from GVSU, studying the impact of prescribed fire seasonality on plant composition in restored tallgrass prairies. Mary is a passionate educator, frequently delivering presentations on the intricacies of fire-dependent ecosystems and promoting the relevance of Indigenous Knowledge in natural resource management. She is a proud member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Ojibwa) and an active participant in the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council.
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