Women in Landscape-Scale Conservation: Kristen Hart

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?

Turtles! I started tracking sea turtles and their paths illuminated landscape-scale movements that spanned far beyond my immediate study sites.

What does the term connected conservation mean to you?

This terms means implementing conservation in locations that matter - for sea turtles, this would be at their nesting areas, along migration paths, and then at their resident foraging areas. We've had some very cool 'connections' with sea turtles tagged in one national park and then going to reside in a different, spatially separate national park! Conservation strategies in those two parks affect the same turtle - so that is one example of connected conservation.

Kristen Hart is a Research Ecologist with the US Geological Survey's Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.

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

My Dry Tortugas sea turtle tracking project is one I'm especially proud to highlight. We've worked there since 2008, and between captures of turtles on the beach and others captured in the water, we have about 300 individual movement and habitat use paths to view, analyze, and summarize. The location is spectacular, but we're also learning things that surprise us and testing hypotheses about sea turtle biology and ecology - oftentimes discovering new information!

If you could collaborate with anyone or any organization who would it be?
National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and other academic researchers

Any advice for women wanting to get into the field?

Apply for unique experience internships, jobs, and volunteer options. Develop a strong skill set that not only includes field and lab work, but also practical skills like R coding, organization, how to change tires, how to trailer and launch boats, etc. Take a chance on opportunities that may seem out of your comfort zone - it may very well be a foot in the door to a wonderful career.

Women in Landscape Conservation