This July, we are excited to host a special edition of The Story Collider for the North American Congress for Conservation Biology! From the tragic to the hilarious, we’ll hear five true, personal stories exploring the deeply human side of conservation work.
This event is currently only open to registered meeting participants - we'll keep you posted if tickets become available!
Stories by:
Cynthia Malone is is a conservation scientist and social justice organizer, bringing #blackgirlmagic to a forest or street near you. She has eagerly pursued intersectional, trans-disciplinary research ranging from primate ecology to human wildlife conflict across the tropics, including Indonesia and Cameroon. Since graduating with her Masters in Conservation Biology from Columbia University, she works at the American Museum of Natural History for the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, where she is manager of Pacific Programs. She is a cofounder and current co-chair of the Society of Conservation Biology's Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee. More recently, she serves as Organizing Co-Chair for the New York City chapter of Black Youth Project 100. Cynthia is also a reluctant New Yorker, insatiable vegan foodie, unabashed Harry Potter fanatic, and aspiring dancehall queen. Follow her @Cynth_Malone.
Nick Haddad is the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Biology at North Carolina State University. For more than 20 years, he has been studying how plants and animals move across landscapes in habitat corridors, and he is especially interested in rare butterflies. His research interests also include habitat loss, fragmentation conservation, and recovery, as well as the application of ecological theory to conservation and management. He is a Leopold Fellow, and received NC State University awards for both Outstanding Teacher and Outstanding Advisor. You can read more about his work on Conservation Corridors or follow him @NickMHaddad.
Patrick Freeman is a Research Assistant at the Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Global Ecology. He specializes in sub-Saharan wildlife ecology and is passionate about elephants. He has spent numerous field seasons observing them in Namibia, South Africa, and most recently in Kenya. He is an avid wildlife photographer, of which he says, "My goal is to bring authentic images of wildlife, wild spaces, and conservation challenges to life for people who may never be able to see them in the flesh." You can follow him @PTFreeman.
Roberta J. Hill Roberta J. Hill is an Oneida poet, fiction writer and scholar. Her most recent publications include Cicadas: New and Selected Poetry (Holy Cow! Press, 2013) and "Reading the Streets," a short story in the International Writing Program's online journal, Narrative Witness #2, "Indigenous Peoples: Australia-United States". She edited the July 2014 issue of the Black Earth Institute's journal, About Place, "Enlightened Visions," available online. She is a Professor of English and American Indian Studies and is affiliated with The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tara Easter is a staff scientist with the Endangered Species program at the Center for Biological Diversity. She has previously studied the evolution of tidal fish and the behavior of rattlesnakes and worked with conservation programs in Africa aimed at reducing elephant and cropland conflict in Kenya. She thinks blind salamanders are super cool, and has a thing for the “ugly” animals that no one else loves, like aye-ayes. Follow her at @TaraSkye12.