Caden (Thomas) Hare

Caden Thomas Hare ("Thomas") has spent much of the last fifteen years engaged in both humanitarian and environmental grassroots activism. While living in Zambia, he co-founded DeepRoots Zambia, a volunteer-run non-profit organization enabling children in the Southern Province to go to school (please visit www.deeproots.org ). While working for CalPIRG and Greenpeace, he raised funds, engaged in public outreach, and collected thousands of signatures for environmental causes. While volunteering for the Fairfield Osborn Preserve, he gave classroom presentations and led school children on hikes. While working for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Council, he discovered a love for negotiating the space at the intersection of diverse stakeholders that has continued to serve him well.

Thomas earned his M.S. in Biology in 2010 working with Dr. Michael Cohen at Sonoma State University. He then continued his research under the auspices of the City of Santa Rosa, where he studied the removal of pollutants from municipal wastewater effluent using a consortium of aquatic plants and algae. Concurrently, he studied the production of renewable energy from the biomass the aquatic vegetation accrues as it grows. Towards this end, he helped develop techniques for biodiesel production from algae in Dr. Michael Haas’s lab at the USDA Eastern Regional Research Center. To further the Cohen lab's work with methane gas production he facilitated the installation of two research-scale anaerobic digesters at the local wastewater treatment plant.

After completing this project, Thomas transitioned to working at this treatment plant as an Environmental Compliance Inspector. In this capacity he worked on projects and programs ranging from source pollutant reduction at local businesses to Safe Medicine Disposal for community members. After another five years at the treatment plant, Thomas moved over to the Water Use Efficiency Team, where he is currently a Water Resources Specialist. He helps residential and commercial customers use water more efficiently, and enjoys working for the City of Santa Rosa.