Our Staff: A Reason For Hope

At Defenders of Wildlife, we have a passion for protecting imperiled species. We believe that our natural heritage and wildlife should be protected and passed on to our children and grandchildren. And we work every day to make those dreams reality.

So, let me introduce you to those making it all happen! Our regional offices are made up of the most intelligent, resourceful, and dedicated people working on wildlife conservation issues you’ll find anywhere. They have backgrounds in law, communication, biology, planning, resource management, and animal behavior. Being out in the field, on the front lines of conservation, they are really in the thick of things — collaborating on coexistence projects, coordinating population surveys, testifying at hearings, hosting events, organizing habitat restorations, and more! If a specific project or species piques your curiosity, make sure to click the link so you can read a blog from the experts themselves!

In our Southeast region, you’ll find experts working on everything from Red Wolves and Florida panthers to wetlands and watersheds to gopher tortoises and habitat corridors. Hellbenders and freshwater mussels may not be on the top of your cutest critters list, but climate change and water quality are extremely important for their survival. Offshore drilling and coastal development affect North Atlantic right whales, sea turtles, and Florida manatees.

Our Rockies and Plains region covers a wide geographic section in the middle of the country, and our experts there work on a wide range of species and habitats as well! Wolves, bears, beavers, waterways and imperiled fish, bison, black-footed ferrets, prairie dogs, and temperate grasslands and forests are all within the scope of this office. Much of this work would not be possible without the support and partnership of the tribes in the region, and we work closely with all types of land owners and land managers to make sure that wildlife and communities are supported.

The border wall is a hotly debated topic across the country, but we’re in the middle of it in our Southwest region. Jaguars, ocelots, Sonoran pronghorn, cactus ferruginous owls, and important wildlife habitat (including National Wildlife Refuges) will be negatively impacted if a border wall is constructed. We also keep a close eye on the imperiled dunes sagebrush lizard, whose habitat is being destroyed by sand mining in Texas. But even with these extremely negative issues, we’re optimistic about wildlife conservation in these Southwest landscapes. Just this year, we had one of the largest successful cross-foster events ever accomplished by the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, and the Mount Graham red squirrel may be on the road to recovery after devastating wildfires.

California is on the front lines of wildfires, climate change, and water issues, and our staff are protecting wildlife in the face of lots of development and habitat loss. California has some amazing public lands and waters, and banning the use of drift gillnets and limiting offshore drilling were important wins for marine wildlife like sea otters, whales, dolphins, and seals and sea lions. On the land side of things, the desert is an important habitat for both imperiled species like desert tortoise and for combating climate change in the form of renewable energy.

You’ve probably heard about the southern resident orca in Puget Sound who carried her dead calf with her for days on end. Well, the southern resident orcas (and their salmon prey and polluted habitat) are only some of the important issues we’re tackling in the Pacific Northwest. Playing smart in bear country, coexisting with wolves, protecting marbled murrelets and their habitat, and connecting kids to the outdoors are all part of the expertise of this office! And just this fall, we got some awesome news because of our efforts.

Our Alaska team works to protect some well-known Arctic species, like polar bears and wolves, but they’re also extremely busy protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (and porcupine caribou herd) from seismic testing and oil drilling and the Tongass National Forest (and Prince of Wales flying squirrel) from clearcutting. They also monitor the populations endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales, the most isolated and genetically distinct of Alaska’s five beluga populations.

Our staff do a lot of teaching and outreach on top of all of their conservation work because we only protect what we love, and we only love what we know. All over the country, volunteers, activists, donors, and supporters like you help us succeed in the important work of protecting our wildlife and natural heritage. We couldn’t do it without you, so thank you!