Sara Kinney is a University of Michigan graduate student currently pursuing a dual degree with the School for Environment and Sustainability and the Taubman College of Urban & Regional Planning. After ten years in nonprofit management, she returned to school to pursue her passion for plants. She hopes to combine her experience and education from the University of Michigan to help governments plan for more sustainable and biodiverse futures.

TSN Conference 2026

January 23rd, 2026 (Friday) // 11:20 am – 11:45 am // Room 103 // Measuring What Matters: A Rapid Assessment Toolkit for Prioritizing Areas for Conservation // Many universities hold undeveloped lands that are critical to maintaining biodiversity in increasingly urbanized landscapes. These fragmented natural areas face threats from climate change, invasive species, pollution, and reduced species diversity. The University of Michigan recognizes both the opportunity and responsibility to be a leader in stewarding its natural areas for ecological and community benefit. To support this goal, we developed a suite of field and GIS metrics for scoring and ranking the ecological integrity of natural areas. The results of our project will enable the University of Michigan to integrate existing natural areas into its sustainability goals and educational experiences. The framework we present can be applied to a wide variety of institutions and landscapes for conservation planning.