Women in Landscape-Scale Conservation: Jodi Hilty

Women's History Month

Conservation at landscape scales takes cooperation, patience, and people! In honor of Women's History Month in March, we want to highlight the work of influential women who dedicate their time and energy to protecting our cultural, recreational, and natural resources. 

How did you get started working in landscape-scale conservation?

I started working in Zambia for a community-based conservation project that was really about landscape-scale conservation considerations; I went back and focused a PhD on wildlife corridor ecology, a key component of large landscape conservation, and went on from there!

What does the term connected conservation mean to you?

Connecting spaces and species, diverse communities and peoples, and people to nature.
Tell us about a project that you have worked on that you are especially proud of.
I am particularly proud of the work that we have been doing at Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts. Through three federal to regional to Indigenous government agreements, more than 12,000,000 acres of new habitat in the Y2Y region are committed to being protected under Indigenous leadership and other Indigenous Peoples are seeking other new Indigenous-led conservation efforts as well!

Jodi Hilty is the Chief Scientist and President of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

If you could collaborate with anyone or any organization who would it be?

If I could, I would work closely with the US Department of Defense, which has one of the largest budgets in the world, to use their innovation and immense human power to work toward large landscape conservation/restoration as a key tool in addressing biodiversity loss and climate change adaptation.

Any advice for women wanting to get into the field?

Understand implicit biases before interviewing and entering new organizations and how it might affect you and how to be empowered to disrupt those often unconscious biases. And, of course, follow one's heart and passions!

Women in Landscape Conservation