Women in Landscape-Scale Conservation: Christina Aiello

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?

Throughout my career, I’ve worked primarily with species of conservation concern that are threatened in some way by development, habitat loss and fragmentation. During my first field job with the Illinois Natural History Survey, I collected data on Blanding's and spotted turtles whose habitats had been severely reduced and isolated by urban development and agriculture. There was even a new highway off-ramp being built over one of our study sites - heavy machinery working just a short distance away from these now-rare wetland habitats. These first-hand experiences, of seeing the landscape change before my very eyes, really drew me to study the impact these actions have on wildlife, particularly on how they move. And as the animals I studied became larger and more mobile, the scale of the landscape impacts I considered became larger too. I think most people would be surprised by just how far some animals can travel and where they're willing to go to do so. Unfortunately, we've made many of their evolved behaviors extremely risky or at times, impossible.

What does the term connected conservation mean to you?

To me, connected conservation means that we work to retain the natural connections that are essential to life. It requires recognizing that often our social and political divisions mean little to the natural world and that we can improve our conservation strategies by thinking in larger-scales and cooperating across boundaries.

Christina Aiello is a National Park Foundation Science Fellow.

Tell us about a project that you have worked on that you are especially proud of.

I've been working with a growing group of partners to address the negative impacts of interstate highways on desert bighorn sheep connectivity. It's been a long-term effort, with the end goal of improving conditions for bighorn movement with crossing structures across certain sections of highway. My part in this project has been to analyze bighorn movement along these interstates, describe the scientific evidence that supports the need for improved connectivity, and recommend the best ways to do so based on our research. We’ve been particularly concerned about the threat of new barriers on the landscape – developments like high speed rail, large-scale solar plants, and wind farm facilities – that are being proposed throughout the desert in areas that could further impact wildlife connectivity. I’ve been proud of my role in highlighting the impacts these projects will likely have, and the progress we’ve made in connecting with other organizations to spread knowledge and come up with alternative proposals or actions that could lessen the impacts these structures might have.

If you could collaborate with anyone or any organization who would it be?
I’ve been lucky to work with many organizations and people that I’d admire. But one that I’m not currently collaborating with is the Center for Large Landscape Conservation - a non-profit group that is really doing large-scale conservation right. They are blending expertise in science, policy, networking, and fund-raising to make positive change for wildlife connectivity possible. I would love to work with them in some capacity on connectivity issues in desert ecosystems.

Any advice for women wanting to get into the field?

One thing I’ve quickly become aware of while working on large-scale connectivity projects is that there are so many different ways to be involved, and so many skills that are needed for a project to be successful. Researching wildlife and connectivity patterns is just one means to contribute. We need people that have good networking and interpersonal skills, knowledge of policy and environmental law, fundraising and grant writing skills, social media and communication savvy. The list goes on and on. If you want to get involved, I would recommend first taking stock of your skillset and think about how you’re best-suited to contribute. Then seek out the path that capitalizes on your unique abilities to make a difference.

Women in Landscape Conservation