“People are coming to the table and realizing we need to be anticipating and forecasting how to adapt,” he says. Prior to joining the Science Program, Hoenicke served for nearly a decade as deputy and executive director of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, where he managed two Boards of Directors and reorganized the Institute’s program areas. “I felt challenged to do something different,” he says of the move, “since the Delta is much more controversial territory.” In Hoenicke’s eyes, the capstone to his career came in October 2018. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation increased its science allocation for California, and it and the Council were able to use pre-existing proposal submittal and evaluation infrastructure developed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to win nearly $17 million for Delta scientific studies. However, the work is far from done: “We don’t yet know how to achieve the goals we’ve set for [endangered fish] species,” he says. While Hoenicke stepped down from the Council in December 2018, his conservation work is ongoing: he’s volunteering on the Board of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. And, when time permits, “going to yoga.”

Pearls in the ocean of information that our reporters didn’t want you to miss
 

Rainer Hoenicke is optimistic about the changes he saw in his five years as the Delta Stewardship Council’s Science Director.

“People are coming to the table and realizing we need to be anticipating and forecasting how to adapt,” he says. Prior to joining the Science Program, Hoenicke served for nearly a decade as deputy and executive director of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, where he managed two Boards of Directors and reorganized the Institute’s program areas. “I felt challenged to do something different,” he says of the move, “since the Delta is much more controversial territory.” In Hoenicke’s eyes, the capstone to his career came in October 2018. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation increased its science allocation for California, and it and the Council were able to use pre-existing proposal submittal and evaluation infrastructure developed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to win nearly $17 million for Delta scientific studies. However, the work is far from done: “We don’t yet know how to achieve the goals we’ve set for [endangered fish] species,” he says. While Hoenicke stepped down from the Council in December 2018, his conservation work is ongoing: he’s volunteering on the Board of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. And, when time permits, “going to yoga.”

About the author

Michael Hunter Adamson was born and partly raised in the Bay Area and spent his childhood balancing adventure with mischief. As an equally irresponsible adult he has worked for The Nature Conservancy, the arts and education nonprofit NaNoWriMo, taught English in Madrid-based High School equivalent, and volunteers with The Marine Mammal Center. As a writer for Estuary and the editor of the Bay Area Monitor, Michael employs his love for nature and his interest in people to help tell the unfolding story of the living Earth.

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