I work as the national director of conservation science and research, and the Weston Family senior scientist, at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). I'm also an adjunct professor at the University of Northern British Columbia.
I've worked in research, conservation, consulting, and teaching across western North America, East Africa, and Central America for 20 years. My scientific work is very 'applied', i.e., grounded in real life problems and solutions. For instance, where do plants and animals live and how are they affected by people? What makes conservation practices equitable over the long-run? I care deeply that the results of research inform and guide more effective practices and policies, like land-use and conservation planning, habitat restoration, and environmental law. I'm a big fan of science communication and outreach, including public talks, storytelling, and media engagement. And I love to hike, bike, paddle, and garden.
My email address is aerin . jacob at natureconservancy . ca. You can also find me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Some recent news
Feb 2023: Recreation ecology paper published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, with lead author Dr. Annie Loosen. Jan 2023: New report shows extent of 'undocumented' recreation trails in BC and Alberta . Media release and some coverage. Dec 2022: Science and art for conservation action at COP 15 in Montreal. Sept 2022: My new job started! Learn more about NCC's conservation science programs. June 2022:It's my last month working at Y2Y. I'll take the summer off and in September I'll start at the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Jan 2022: Global review of wolverine research published in Global Ecology and Conservation. Blog post here. Nov 2021: Drs. Annie Loosen and Devin Holterman join Y2Y-UNBC research partnership as postdoctoral fellows. Jan 2021: Research to map and model carbon storage, water, and recreation across Canada is published! Nov 2020: Video with Seeker about how to give grizzly bears the space they need to survive. Oct 2020: New paper in Environmental Reviewsabout what "success" means in applied environmental science. And video. May 2020: New paper in Conservation Science and Practiceabout ongoing logging in mountain caribou 'critical habitat. Mar/Apr 2020: Cover story inThe Wildlife Professional about how wildlife corridors help animals like wolverines. March 2020: Talk about Yellowstone to Yukon and conservation science in York University's online seminar series. Feb 2020: The #MySTEMJob film series and Instagram campaign features my work as Y2Y conservation scientist. Jan 2020: New paper in Environmental Research Lettersabout human–wildlife coexistence in the American West. Dec 2019: Story in Nature about the good, bad, and ugly lessons learned to write winning grant proposals... Dec 2019: Story in The Narwhal about Nahanni National Park Reserve in the NWT, and why "big picture" conservation matters. Nov 2019: Stoked for a new project working with Drs. Karine Pigeon and Pam Wright on recreation ecology across Yellowstone to Yukon.