Jennifer is the statewide Endangered Species Specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. In this role, she interprets, coordinates, and administers the Michigan Endangered Species Protection law while working to develop and implement strategies for management and recovery of Michigan’s state and federally listed threatened and endangered species. Throughout her career, she has found purpose in developing meaningful relationships with conservation partners and collaborating on solutions to conservation challenges. She has worked for the Department for 20 years and earned a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management from Michigan State University (1999) and a M.S. from the University of Tennessee in Wildlife Science (2002).

TSN Conference 2026

January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 1:45 pm – 2:10 pm // Room 103 // Why Conservation? // Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the State of Michigan’s Endangered Species Protection Act. To celebrate, I embarked on a journey exploring what motivates conservationists do their work to understand: “Why Conservation?” The goals of the project were to 1) better understand the range of experiences that drive conservationists in their efforts and 2) share out common themes and quotes to inform others spread the conservation ethic. The project included interviews with land managers, consultants, regulators, leaders of non-profits, and past DNR endangered species specialists. In the interviews I asked about personal and professional experiences and perspectives. We explored thoughts on current and future opportunities and challenges, how they first became interested in nature, and even came up with a few elevator pitches. In this talk, I will highlight some commonalities that emerged from these conversations and outline ways we can all inspire others to engage in conservation.