IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group

Gary Tabor is an ecologist and wildlife veterinarian based in Bozeman, Montana in the United States. He was appointed CCSG Chair in 2016 to further advance pioneering work led by Dr. Graeme Worboys. Gary has worked on behalf of large landscape conservation for over 35 years in Africa, Australia, Canada, South America, and the United States, including as the co-founder of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, Patagonia’s Freedom to Roam wildlife corridor campaign, and the Network for Landscape Conservation.

Gary is the Founder and President of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC). The Center aims to conserve ecological connectivity around the world by uniting and empowering communities to build climate resilience by protecting and connecting ecosystems that sustain humans and wildlife. Gary is also a Professor of Conservation Practice at Cornell University. He serves on the Board of the Global Health Initiative at the University of Wisconsin and as an Adjunct Associate Professor, in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia.

In addition to expanding the work of CCSG around the world, Gary has recently been making new contributions to the Connectivity Working Group under the “Canada Pathway to Target 1”, as well as the founding of the Salazar Center for North American Conservation at Colorado State University. He enjoys skiing, swimming, and spending time with his family in his spare time.

Dr. Jodi Hilty is president and chief scientist of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, a joint US-Canada non-profit organization. Y2Y’s vision is an interconnected system of wild lands and waters stretching from Yellowstone to Yukon, harmonizing the needs of people with those of nature. A conservation biologist specializing in ecological corridor and large landscape research, she has over 25 years of experience managing large landscape conservation efforts. This work focuses on applying best available information to address complex conservation challenges through community-based and collaborative efforts. A co-editor or lead author on four books, her most recent release is 2019’s Corridor Ecology: Linking Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Adaption. She currently serves on the Board of the Smith Postdoctoral Fellowship and as Deputy Chair of the IUCN Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group.