In episode #8 we speak with Dr. Jodi Hilty. Jodi is the President and Chief Scientist of the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Initiative. She is a wildlife corridor ecologist and conservationist with over 20 years of experience managing large-scale conservation programs. She has co-edited or been lead author on four books, the most recent of which is titled Corridor Ecology: Linking Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Adaptation, which was published in 2019. She currently serves as Deputy Chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Connectivity Committee. Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, she has a deep rooted passion for protecting the species and the ecosystems in the Y2Y region.

We spoke with Jodi about the scope of Y2Y, her contributions to international planning efforts for ecological connectivity and the nature of large scale conservation initiatives. Y2Y exemplifies big picture thinking for conservation, and it was fascinating to hear about how their work brings together landscape ecology and management partnerships for biodiversity conservation. Jodi's passion for her work is contagious, and she is a clear leader in strategic planning for the future of Conservation in North America. We hope you enjoy our chat! 

Y2Y: https://y2y.net/

IUCN Guidelines for conserving connectivity through ecological networks and corridors: https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49061