Resident John Rockwell considers himself to be an advocate for natural resources.

He’s an advocate for a lot of things, really.

Rockwell’s been on just about every board or committee in town since the ’80s— from the Conservation Commission to the Planning Board to even a stint as assistant harbormaster—and now is on the Open Space Acquistion Commission.

But above all, he says, he’s a “mouthpiece.”

“Somebody has to speak up,” Rockwell says.

Though now a regional planner and wetland specialist for the Buzzards Bay Estuary Program, Rockwell says he didn’t plan on a career in resource management.

As a kid growing up Seattle, Rockwell spent several summers working on Cuttyhunk. It was here that he met his wife, Annie, a Tennessee native, and around 20 years ago they became Marion residents.

The Rockwells own Parlow Mill Farm, a 30-acre fruit and vegetable CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) venture. The Rockwells supply “shareholders” with homegrown foods such as squash and cucumbers, as well as French baguettes and flower bouquets.

The Rockwells also own a dog-sitting service, Farm Vacations for Good Dogs.

Rockwell says that, after joining the Conservation Commission in the mid ’80s, he found there was a great deal to learn.

“When you’re dealing with wetlands, there’s a lot of components,” he says. “You’ve got policy, politics and science. And I found all of those parts interesting.”

Fast forward a few years. Rockwell gets a master’s degree in resource management from Antioch University New England and does work as a conservation agent in Westport. Fast forward again, and he joins the Marion Open Space Commission and eventually is hired on for the Buzzards Bay Estuary Program.

Since joining the Commission in 2003, Rockwell has helped acquire more than 600 acres of open space for Marion, including properties near Eastover Farms in Rochester, Washburn Park and much land for the bike path along the railroad bed. He says the Commission has also received around $762,000 in open space grants.

“What keeps me going? When people say they want more open space,” he says. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. You get to create something new, and that’s exciting.