Meet the author



Meet the author…

Thomas English Cochrane is a California Professional Geologist (License #6124). He resides at The Sea Ranch in N. California, and has been prowling the landscape of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties since 1976. Born and raised in Greene, New York, he roamed and wandered the area’s glacially-formed hills and valleys: the Catskills, Adirondacks, and Appalachian mountains. These early explorations of his led to an under-graduate degree in Geology from State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton.  Thereafter, he continued with graduate studies in Education at Colgate University (NY), graduate work in Geology at Indiana University, and a study in field geology at Miami University’s Geology Field Camp in Wyoming.

Pursuing a teaching career, he initially taught science and mathematics as well as earth science and physics in his hometown at Greene Central School for four years, later becoming chairman of the Science Department and acting Chairman of the Mathematics Department.

In 1964, he was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Grant to study Glaciology for a summer on the Juneau Icefield in southeast Alaska.

Mr. Cochrane later spent many years in the oil and gas business, primarily in Oklahoma and Texas. He was editor of the Shale Shaker, a geologic publication of the Oklahoma City Geological Society. In 1988, he moved to The Sea Ranch and began consulting on geologic hazards and local geology along the coast. He became a California Registered Geologist in 1995, a professional designation which was recently reclassified as California Professional Geologist.

A devoted environmentalist following his days in the oil patch, Mr. Cochrane was recently named Director of the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy, a 501(c)3 nonprofit which is a member of the National Land Trust Alliance and California Northern Region Land Trust Council.

His earlier environmental work included co-founding and serving as the first President of Friends of the Gualala River, serving on the steering committee of Gualala River Watershed Council, participating in the Redwood Coast Watershed Alliance, and serving as President of Matrix of Change, an environmental organization in Sonoma County who provide hands-on teaching activities for elementary and high school kids.

Thomas Cochrane with all 3 of the books he's authored at Four-Eyed Frog Books in Gualala, CAAuthor Thomas E. Cochrane photographed recently (January 2020) with all 3 of his books at Four-Eyed Frog Books in Gualala — his first book was named the book store’s #1 Bestselling Title for 2017.

He doggedly documented all aspects of the 85-mile Road Log  in “Shaping the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast” firsthand…

And his second book, Tornados, Rattlesnakes & Oil — A Wildcatter’s Memories of Hunting for “Black Gold” was published in 2018.

You can see the extensive publicity both books received on the In the News page, including information on the wide variety of public talks he was invited to give regionally.

Now his third book — and first foray into fiction — has just been published, Entwined — In Mystery & Murder…x 2

 

 

 

(And a sequel to Entwined is already in the works….so stay tuned!)

 


Questions? Comments?

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