I’ve been broadly engaged in the field of climate change adaptation for over a decade. It started with basic research on interactions between temperature and UV radiation in marine organisms, but soon shifted to bringing climate change science into conservation and natural resource management. Along with Lara Hansen and Jennifer Biringer, I wrote and edited one of the earliest adaptation handbooks, Buying Time: A User’s Manual for Building Resistance and Resilience to Climate Change in Natural Systems (WWF, 2003). In 2008, Lara Hansen, Eric Mielbrecht, and I co-founded EcoAdapt, a fine fine organization focused entirely on adaption. At EcoAdapt, my work included adaptation research (e.g. The State of Marine and Coastal Adaptation in North America), developing and offering training for a variety of audiences, creating guidance tools and documents (e.g. an award-winning vulnerability assessment guidebook), and various other activities geared towards moving adaptation forward (e.g. co-authoring Climate Savvy: Adapting Conservation and Resource Management to a Changing World (Island Press, 2011; all royalties go to charity!).
I currently have my own consulting practice focused on, you guessed it, adapting conservation, planning, and resource management for a changing climate. I particularly love directed support and research on vulnerability assessment and adaptation practice; adaptation decision coaching; facilitation; and developing and leading trainings.
Prior to my current life as an adaptationista I’ve engaged in a variety of professional activities including AIDS education and outreach, genetic ecotoxicology (ain’t that a mouthful!), marine ecology, geological oceanography, writer-for-hire, teaching, organic gardener, counselor, and a brief stint at a healthcare consulting company. I used to worry that this eclectic list indicated an inability to focus, but it’s a real asset in the world of climate adaptation and decision making. My wide-ranging experience makes me comfortable with diverse audiences, and helps me look at problems from different angles.
When environmental problems seem daunting, I call on my undergraduate degree in geology for a long-term perspective that keeps me chipper.