Gerco moved to Northern Virginia in 2006 and to Loudoun in 2009. He works as a GIS data steward for an agricultural solutions company where he focuses on the interactions between agriculture and endangered species.

He has been a member of Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy since 2010 and currently is the chair of the JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary Committee. In this role, he manages the property, leads work days and conducts surveys. He combines his passion for nature and GIS in developing map-centric story maps, thematic maps and interactive maps for Loudoun Wildlife.

Gerco is an avid birder and enjoys photographing birds, butterflies and other wildlife. As a member of the  the Raven Loonatics Birdathon team, he enjoys finding as many bird species as possible within a 24-hour period in Loudoun County. He also participates in Breeding Bird Atlases (Loudoun County and Virginia) and Christmas Bird Counts, and leads trips for Loudoun Wildlife and other organizations. In addition, Gerco teaches the ornithology class for the Banshee Reeks chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists.

Contact Gerco at ghoogeweg@loudounwildlife.org.