Born and raised in Sonoma County, Prescribed Fire Practitioner Calvin (Cal) Howell grew up deeply connected to the Northern California landscape. After earning a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from St. John’s College, MD, Cal pursued a master’s degree in environmental policy from Bard College in New York, where he researched factors that led to successful inter-cultural negotiations within the Klamath River dam removal agreements. Upon returning home to Sonoma County, Cal worked as an intern with LandPaths, serving on the equity committee and reconnecting with the land alongside the stewardship team. Cal joined Santa Rosa Junior College’s Wildfire Resiliency Program in 2023, where he caught the ‘fire bug.’ Cal is passionate about the intersection between prescribed fire, community stewardship, and sustainable land management policy. When not in the field, he can be found throwing pottery or cooking for his family.