Dave Warners, Professor, Biology
616-526-6820
dwarners@calvin.edu
Office: DeVries Hall 125
Weekly Schedule
(Knightvision login required)
Education
B.S. in Biology/Chemistry, Calvin College, 1985
M.S. in Environmental Science - Land Resources, Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1989
Ph.D. in Botany, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program, University of Michigan, 1997
Professional Experience
Professor Warners has served as an environmental consultant on Environmental Impact Statements, and has performed many botanical inventories for local townships, state parks and other organizations. He have helped several local schools and parks establish native wildflower gardens and led plant rescue efforts to preserve native species from areas that are planned for development. In addition, he has worked as a botanist for the Ann Arbor Parks department and volunteered with the Nature Conservancy and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan.
Research and Professional Interests
Prof. Warners works in the areas of Restoration Ecology, Plant Systematics and Evolution, Conservation Biology and Creation Care. His current research in Restoration Ecology focusses on how to create areas of native Michigan forest in sites that were previously lawn or degraded old fields. He has also done work in prairie and wetland restoration. His research in systematics and evolution has included studies on a naturally occurring Aster hybrid (Aster cordifolius x Aster saggitifolius) in West Michigan and a naturally occurring Poplar hybrid (Populus deltoides x Populus balsamifera) at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Wilderness State Park. He also assists local townships with inventorying and prioritizing the natural areas within their jurisdiction. This work, done with Randy Van Dragt, results in reports that help to identify and motivate the preservation of a 'green infrastructure' for the township under study. One other area of growing interest and research is to evaluate how creation care can be infused into international development and missions. This work is an outgrowth of an abiding interest and challenge in trying to incorporate creation care principles into all aspects of our daily lives (personal and institutional). Finally, he has also done research on cloud forest restoration in Costa Rica.
Life Outside of Calvin
His life outside of Calvin is filled with family activities. He and his wife Teri have three children who are involved in a variety of musical, artistic and athletic activites. They all enjoy camping together in the summers, gardening, bicycling, cooking, reading, and in general working together to try to lead lives that are consistent with our faith. Dr. Warners teaches 5th grade Sunday School and leads small group studies at his home church, Sherman Street CRC.
See a partial list of Prof. Warners' publications
