Research Interests
Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne, of Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, coordinates the Canadian Key Biodiversity Areas initiative. Key Biodiversity Areas are sites that contribute significantly to the persistence of biodiversity, and constitute an information layer that can feed into conservation and land use planning at all scales. The Canadian KBA initiative is supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada as well as private foundations, and brings together a coalition of NGOs, governments, Indigenous groups and experts to engage in the work of identifying and delineating Key Biodiversity Areas. Ciara has a PhD in Geography from McGill University, and has focused her research on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, resilience and the development of tools for supporting environment management and conservation. She has worked with a broad array of partners and institutions in Canada and globally to improve decision-making around the way we value and manage nature.