The Institute for Conservation Advocacy Research & Education, (ICARE) established in 2004, is a nonprofit community-based organization located in Napa County, California. ICARE's mission is to restore and conserve the biological integrity and ecosystems health of watersheds the Napa River estuary and the greater San Francisco Bay Area through science-based advocacy, research and education.

         The keystone of this effort is a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to maintaining cutting edge conservation science, policy and outreach. We specialize in innovative, collaborative projects that move restoration and conservation beyond the status quo and achieve real improvements on the ground in the protection of plants, animals and fish from the headwaters to the confluence within socioeconomic realities. To learn more about us read  Healthy Watershed Program

Our Goals & Objectives

                                          Executive Director

Chris Malan       

              Chris grew up around  the Eel River where she would spend  summers hiking, fishing and swimming. Other Northern California rivers were common recreational sites during her formative years.       
              Chris became deeply saddened by the gradual and devastating loss of recreational values of the Napa River. This has deprived  generations to come of access to the River and loss of recreation due to pollution and lack of flows. The salmon were telling this sad story in the 1970's when the Coho salmon left the Napa River due to lack of flows and pollution from human impacts to the watershed, such as farming too close to the streams, pesticides and other chemical uses, deforestation for vineyards, putting streams underground and channalizing to name a few. The Coho were the canary in the mine, because soon after Chinook and steelhead numbers rapidly declined and now only a few of these fish live to spawn again in their natal streams of the Napa River.
              For twenty one years Chris has focused on recovery of the Napa River watershed which is listed as an impaired water body due to sediment, pathogens and  nutrients.  Additionally, Chris has  been trying to get the River listed with the EPA for flow and temperature impairments..           In 1999, as Executive Member of the Sierra Club, Chris organized a lawsuit to force Napa County to do environmental review on deforestation for vineyards. This lawsuit succeeded and the good news is that now deforestation on hillsides for vineyards must go through a more rigorous environmental impact study.
             While the Department of Fish and Game said there were only 4 streams that had steelhead living in them in 1998, Chris saw differently, when she saw spotted fingerlings in streams where she did volunteer monitoring for the RCD. When Chris tried to sound the alarm she got ignored or chastised for speaking up.
             Chris knew more had to be done to improve the health of the River.          
             In 1999-2005, as a board member for Friends of the Napa River, she wrote grants to establish the first ever total basin snorkel survey for salmon. This put salmon back on the map showing that steelhead  were barely surviving in 23 streams. Additionally, Chris wrote grants for six years to document the biodiversity of the Napa River. The benthic macro invertebrate sampling of every stream with water in the Napa River watershed discovered 3 new species of aquatic insects never before documented (a spring snail, a caddis fly, a stone fly) and one specie ( as stonefly)  of rare collection. This biological data is constantly sought after by others studing water quality in the San Francisco estuary.         
             From 1996-1998 Chris was one of the chief organizers of the now famous Napa River Flood Management Project called Measure A where we gave back historic flood plains to the River, took down levees and removed bridges and buildings in the floodway. Today, it is critical to protect Measure A tax dollars marked for restoration of the Napa River. Others want and use these funds in the name of restoration but instead use the money for importing out of County water and failed restoration for private property owners who develop too close to the River.        
              In 2009 Chris helped organized the  North Coast with 18 different organizations to become the North Coast Stream Flow Coalition whose focus is to return flows to our great Rivers so the salmon can once again live, spawn and rear in fresh water habitats. This effort leads to writing grants and organizing citizen groups to monitor streams flows. Chris continues to coordinate this Coalition to action in various geopolitical regions to improve flows for future generations but the battle is tough as politicians cater to their wealthy constituents.           
              ICARE invites all to join us in the protection of our fresh water resources as there is no other choice in the face of global climate change and these precious landscapes of survival, fresh water habitats, are worth advocacy and sacrifice.  

Onward!            

                                           Board Members

Stephanie Faulkner        
           Stephanie Faulkner joined ICARE in 2010 as member of the executive board.  Ms. Faulkner has been involved in many areas of environmental research, as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyst and database developer. She has been a lead developer of many mission critical relational database management system (RDBMS) applications, consulting for the private and public sector.  Additionally, Ms. Faulkner has served as chair of environmental education programs for California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and co-founded and chaired of community events such as Earth Day for the Land Trust of Napa County. Ms. Faulkner holds a B.S. degree in environmental resource management as well as multiple certificates in GIS training

Kent Ruppert        
            Kent was an elementary school teacher for thirty years in the Napa Valley School District.  Mr. Ruppert held an administrative credential for grades K-8, but chose to stay in the classroom instead of using the credential. Upon his retirement he began to volunteer for the Natural Science Docent Program sponsored by the Napa Chapter of the California Native Plant society.  During the last ten years, he has acted as both docent and chairman of this program. During this time, Mr. Ruppert also created a very popular in-class watershed program for Friends of the Napa River.  Presently, Mr. Ruppert is both teacher and coordinator for the natural Science Docent program and the Napa Watershed Education Program.

Jack L. Malan        
             Jack has worked in the non-profit sector for 20 years as director, executive director and board officer.  In this capacity, he is responsible for concept, design, development, implementation and operation of all business aspects. He has represented this non-profit in local, state and national organizations and served within those organizations as a committee chairperson(s).  He is involved in funding and grant writing for this non-profit providing much of the programmatic expertise.

Lowell Downey       
              Lowell Downey is an international artist, businessman, and social advocate. Christine, Lowell’s mother, refused to raise her children in the world she grew up one of a poor Texas farming family.  Growing up in the 50s and 60s in the south, Texas and then Florida, where his family moved following the death of his mother, Lowell was deeply impressed by the civil rights and Vietnam era.  These two events changed his life by opening his eyes and challenging him to stand up for what he believed was right.  He became a front-line activist during the racial riots at his high school where he formed a pacifist organization of students.
              Forty years later, Lowell uses his talents as an artist and as a social advocate to support the Napa community.  Following the 1996 campaign by Ralph Nader for presidency, Lowell joined the efforts of other Greens to revitalize the Green Party in Napa.  He formed People Opposed to Insecticide Spraying on Neighborhoods (POISON) in 2001 to prevent the forced pesticide spraying on neighborhoods in the chance the glassywing sharpshooter was found in Napa. Lowell was instrumental in working with the Napa County Agricultural commissioner in writing alternatives to pesticides in the County work plan. 

John Stephens        
                As the founder of the Napa County Environmental Newsletter, John tracks many development projects in Napa County and reports the harm to the environment to our communities. He is one of the longest registered members of the Napa County Sierra Club and he is presently active in the Regional California Sierra Club setting important policy for the Club. The smallest of creatures have much to teach our most eminent scientists. As a volunteer collecting benthic macro invertebrates with kick nets in the streams of the Napa River, documenting systematic data for vegetative cover along with stream flows to document the health of streams in Napa County  John is committed to being more involved in  ICARE’s work as a full participating Board Member. Protecting the fish and other fauna meant understanding the environment they need to survive. ICARE's discovery of an unnamed species of stonefly will remain a high point for us at the Institute. Collecting data and educating the public gives us a solid foundation in protecting our native species. For John ICARE says it all.