ABOUT ME
Journeys bring meaning to life's daily undertakings. From the interconnected migratory journeys of wildlife big and small to the movements of refugees seeking peaceful places to call home, journeys can inspire, frighten, and empower those brave enough to try them.
My personal and work journeys have been just that - inspiring, scary at times and empowering. On my journeys, I have sought to learn about amazing outcomes of phenomenal conservation scientists who dedicate themselves to making local change happen, I have pushed physical and emotional limits, and I have determined to give the best I can to myself, my family and friends, my colleagues, and the world.
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I am very fortunate to have grown up in the 6 million acre Adirondack Park, a globally recognized Biosphere Reserve and one of the largest and last remaining examples of an intact temperate forest and freshwater ecosystem. My parent's farm in the small hamlet of Vermontville, NY in the Northern Adirondacks has bountiful wild blueberries each summer, perfectly-trimmed Christmas trees in winter, and really amazing neighbors. Growing up these neighbors included my mom, dad, sister and fellow conservationist, Jen, a myriad of wildlife - from raccoons to owls, that my father rehabilitated as one of his hobbies - and the Ridge - an old potato farm right next door. The magnificent mountain views and solace of the Ridge throughout the seasons inspired my love of nature and my career journey in conservation.
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I started my career in conservation working on an acid rain project, started by my father, in the Adirondacks. I gained experience in the field from working on several environmental education programs in Nepal and participating in study groups and collaborative conservation programs in Italy, Venezuela, and Arctic Alaska. But my heart was, and still is, in the Adirondacks.
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I have worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society for 20 years in numerous capacities from establishing community-based conservation programs in the Adirondacks and Southwest Montana and collaborating on the book, The Adirondack Atlas, to devising strategies for reducing the impacts of private lands development and recreation on wildlife, building collaborative approaches for increasing community and natural resource governance capacity, and achieving conservation outcomes that support human well-being and wildlife. Between my post at WCS and my work as adjunct faculty at Cornell University, the most gratifying part of my career is scaling up successful local projects for wider impact and applying a broader social science lens to address local challenges.
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I have published in numerous journals and my work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and a variety of regional media outlets. I am always looking for new ways to communicate conservation effectively to diverse audiences and to support young people starting their journey in the field of conservation.
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When I'm not pursuing new journeys at work you might be able to find me practicing for my favorite journey: The Adirondack Canoe Classic. Each year I rekindle my spirit on this annual 3-day 90-mile pilgrimage from Old Forge to my home in Saranac Lake, NY where I live with my husband, Andy Keal – co-owner of Nori’s, a local green grocery, and my children, Leena and Owen.
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Thank you for your interest in my journey and my work. I hope our paths cross one day.
EDUCATION
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Recreation Impacts on Wildlife
How do experiences visiting a protected area shape one's conservation behaviors and actions and to what extent does the ecological condition of the area matter? A new area of research for me, exciting to see where it leads.
2003 - 2008
Cornell University
Ph.D. Natural Resources Policy & Management
Communicating Conservation in Risk-Laden Species.
Bats, sharks, tigers - all face conservation crises and all are burdened with real and perceived risks. How do you inspire people to take actions that benefit these species?
Natural Resource Governance and Capacity
What are the processes, social conditions, systems and collaborative arrangements that lead to the most effective management of wildlife and their habitats?
Wildlife-Friendly Private Lands Management
Protected lands will not save the world's wildlife. Wildlife depend on private lands and people making decisions about the design, configuration and stewardship of development that benefit conservation. What tools are most effective and how are those tools best integrated into land-use processes?
1997-1999
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Master's of Environmental Studies
1991 - 1995
Cornell University
B.S. Agricultural & Natural Resource Economics