Local Leader: Rebecca Shaw

© Karyn Stanley/TNC

Job: Associate State Director, Conservation Programs at The Nature Conservancy, California

Where do you work? San Francisco, California, USA

Area(s) of expertise: 
The impacts of global change on plant communities, ecosystem processes and biodiversity.

What inspires you in your work?
I’m motivated by the creative thinking about conservation that is being done by legal scholars, economists, political scientists and others. I want to bring the very best minds to bear upon not only the science of conservation, but also the real world application of that science.

Degree(s): I have a B.A. in biology from UC Santa Barbara and an M.A. in environmental policy and a Ph.D. in ecology from UC Berkeley.

What are the highlights of your career accomplishments?
I have published numerous articles, including several in the journals Science and Nature, and have won numerous fellowships for my research including a postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University.

Why is the Global Mediterranean Action Network exciting to you?
There is exciting and innovative conservation work taking place in all the Mediterranean regions of the world, and there is tremendous value to cross-regional dialogue and collaboration. We hope that through the Global Mediterranean Action Networkwe can increase the pace, scale and effectiveness of conservation of Mediterranean habitats across the world. 

What gives you hope?
California is a state that innovates on so many fronts — technology, the arts, politics, academics — and conservation. 

Why are you passionate about conservation?
I have the best job on the planet, bar none. The opportunity to apply my scientific and creative skills to address conservation issues in a state that I absolutely love — there’s no better job than that.