Avalonia Hires New Stewardship Coordinator, Tobias Glaza

Glaza is the first Stewardship Coordinator in Avalonia’s 52-year history.

The Avalonia Land Conservancy announced today that it has hired the organization’s first Stewardship Coordinator, Tobias Glaza from Mystic. Tobias brings a vast wealth of knowledge, education, and life experiences that will lend themselves perfectly to his new position with Avalonia.

“Hiring a Stewardship Coordinator is an exciting step forward for Avalonia and will allow us to continue our mission to conserve and steward land for generations to come,” said Kimberly Bradley, Avalonia’s President.

Bradley’s enthusiasm was matched by Glaza, who is looking forward to working with Avalonia’s stewardship volunteers. “I’m excited about working with Avalonia’s dedicated and passionate volunteers, learning more about the preserves and easement properties, and applying my energy and experience to further Avalonia’s mission,” he said.

With over two decades of experience, Toby has a thorough understanding of ecological and environmental principles as well as a portfolio of technical skills including flora and fauna identification, removal of invasive vegetation, habitat restoration, monitoring, cover and habitat typing, mapping, and data collection. He has an undergraduate degree in biophysical environmental studies and a graduate degree in botany and he is currently pursuing a certification in GIS mapping from Unity College.

Toby’s experience spans a wide range of disciplines. After he graduated from college, he worked for land trusts in Wisconsin, where he was largely involved in monitoring plant life and assessing the health of both forests and lakes. He moved to Connecticut shortly thereafter and worked as a Senior Research at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center and then as the Land Management Coordinator for the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation. He is an experienced presenter, educator, and public speaker and taught science for five years at Norwich Free Academy.

Most recently, Toby was the co-director of a digital humanities project at Yale University, where his work emphasized collaboration, education, outreach, and project management. Because of his background in the sciences, his research areas included ethnobotany, historical Native and colonial land use, and changes in land tenure over time in southern New England.

He is excited to get outside on the land and work in open space stewardship management! Glaza stated, “In addition to ecology and the natural world, I enjoy local and regional history, especially those parts that intersect with the landscape of the area, those spots where there are vestiges of “days gone by” embedded in the landscape.”

When he isn’t pulling invasives, you can find Toby hiking, boating, or running and spending time with his partner, Kim, and their families. He also has a garden that keeps him busy and many home renovation projects.