God Made That! Catholic Nature Field Guide

This book has been written by two Catholic professional ecologists, Kathleen Hoenke and Bill Jacobs. Kat and Bill have more than forty years of combined experience working for major regional and national conservation organizations. 

Bill Jacobs is the founder and Executive Director of the Saint Kateri Conservation Center. Bill is an ecologist and conservationist with a Master of Science Degree in Forest Resources Management from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). Bill has worked in conservation for more than thirty years as a consultant and senior ecologist for several governmental and non-governmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, GEI Consultants, Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI), and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Bill founded the Saint Kateri Conservation Center in 2000. Bill and his wife Lynn have three adult children (Erin, Cara, and Willy) and two grandchildren, Jacob and Jonah. Bill lives in the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York and attends Saint John the Baptist R.C. Church. 

Kathleen “Kat” Hoenke is the Associate Director of the Saint Kateri Conservation Center. Kat is a landscape ecologist and GIS specialist with a Master of Environmental Management Degree in Ecosystem Science and Conservation from Duke University. GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, helps scientists map locations of important habitats, and therefore helps us to prioritize them for restoration and protection. Kat focuses on the ecology of aquatic habitats, and how to restore those habitats to natural, functioning systems for people and wildlife. Kat lives in Maryland with her husband, Kurt, and her two children, Finn and Ella, where they attend St. Margaret Church in Bel Air. 

The Saint Kateri Conservation Center is a non-profit organization that promotes Catholic faith, integral ecology, and the diversity of life. The Center envisions a faithful, loving home on Earth for all people and for the whole of God’s creation. The Center’s programs include Saint Kateri Habitats, an online Catholic ecology library, Indigenous Peoples Program, and a Catholic land trust. More information can be found at the Center’s website at www.Kateri.org.