Scheduled speakers include leaders in large landscape conservation:
James N. Levitt, Director of the Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest (Harvard University) and a Fellow in the Department of Planning and Urban Form at Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
James Levitt’s work focuses on historic and present-day innovations in the field of conservation that are marked by novelty and creativity, strategic significance, measurable effectiveness, transferability, and an ability to endure. Levitt is the editor of three books on the topic of conservation innovation, including “Conservation Capital in the Americas,” published by the Lincoln Institute in 2010. Read more.
Gary Tabor, Executive Director of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and Senior Fellow at the University of Montana’s Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
Gary Tabor is a conservation biologist and wildlife veterinarian whose conservation achievements include the establishment of Kibale National Park in Uganda; establishment of the World Bank’s Mountain Gorilla Conservation Trust; co-founding the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; pioneering the field of Conservation Medicine and Ecohealth; developing the Western Governors’ Association Wildlife Corridors Initiative; and co-founding Patagonia Company’s Freedom to Roam campaign to advance landscape connectivity conservation. Read more.
Robert Lilieholm, E.L. Giddings Associate Professor of Forest Policy at the University of Maine
Robert Lilieholm’s research examines ways in which wildlands can be sustainably managed to promote a range of ecological and social goals. Examples include the modeling of alternative future growth scenarios to assess the long-term impact of development on natural systems at the landscape level, as well as research and assistance projects promoting the sustainability of African national parks and the people that rely on them for their survival. Read more.
Cathy Johnson, Senior Staff Attorney and North Woods Project Director
Cathy Johnson attended Yale University, then transferred to College of the Atlantic where she received her B.A. in 1974. She worked for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as for the National Parks Office of Nepal, before going to law school. She received her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law in 1983 and was a trial lawyer in Damariscotta before joining NRCM staff in 1990. She and her partner, artist and illustrator Jon Luoma, live in Alna. She spends her leisure time hiking and canoeing Maine’s North Woods, traveling to less developed parts of the world, gardening, and playing the viola in Colby’s Symphony Orchestra.
Mike Tetreault, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Maine
Mike Tetreault is currently The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Lead Director for the Northeastern U.S. In this capacity, Mike oversees TNC’s conservation efforts across four large landscapes which span New York and the New England States – the Northern Appalachian/Acadian Forest; the Gulf of Maine; Southern New England/Long Island Sound; and the Connecticut River. Prior to coming to Maine, Mike was the Western Colorado Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. Read more.
De
nnis Sizemore (l), Executive Director, and Doug Milek (r), Director of Student Programs, Round River Conservation Studies.
Dennis holds a BS from New Mexico State University and a MS from the University of Montana in Wildlife Ecology. His 30 years of conservation work experience includes law enforcement, management, education, and research. A co-founder of Round River, Dennis has served as the organization’s executive director since its inception in 1991. Dennis also serves as a board member of the Taku-Atlin Conservancy and the Pax Natura Foundation.
Doug Milek received a BA in Biology from the University of Wyoming, and an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. He has been involved with numerous wildlife research projects throughout the Western United States. Doug has directed the Round River Student Program since 2002.
Brian Czech, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System.
Brian Czech has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Wildlife Ecology and a Ph.D. in Renewable Natural Resources Studies with a minor in Political Science. He is an interdisciplinary biologist for the National Wildlife Refuge System, Branch of Planning, based in the national office. His work is focused on climate change planning and strategic growth of the Refuge System. Brian is the author of over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles on wildlife conservation, environmental affairs, and sustainability science, as well as several books including The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy.
Affiliated Event! Margaret Lowman (“Canopy Meg”), Director, North Carolina’s Nature Research Center.
Margaret Lowman is the founder and chief proponent of the interdisciplinary field of forest canopy research and conservation. Dr. Lowman has viewed treetops via hot-air balloons and hanging walkways to explore the world of tropical forest canopies around the world. Her work has been highlighted in National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, Science, and many other outlets. She has held numerous prestigious positions and is founder and Executive Director of the TREE Foundation (Tree Research, Exploration, and Education), dedicated to advancing tropical forest ecosystem research and conservation. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has received numerous awards, including the Margaret Douglas Medal for Excellence in Conservation Education, Mendel Medal for achievements in science and spirit, and Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship. She has been an outspoken advocate of balancing family life and a career, and serves as a role model for aspiring women explorers.
Philip Nyhus, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College
Philip Nyhus’ interdisciplinary research bridges the natural and social sciences to address human interactions with the environment. He is interested in policy and landscape dimensions of human-wildlife conflict and endangered species conservation, particularly tiger conservation. He has collaborated on large mammal conservation and research in Indonesia, China, and Africa, and projects using biodiversity risk assessment to inform conservation policy at local, regional, and global scales. Read more.
Additional information concerning other conference speakers is forthcoming.
