Lone Star Legacy: Texas and Global Conservation

In Texas, we are already feeling the effects of climate and biodiversity challenges facing our planet. Our cities are developing at some of the fastest rates in the nation, while our freshwater supplies continue to be over-allocated. Droughts and flooding are growing challenges, and our coastline is losing more than an inch each year as climate change compounds sea level rise. In this two-part course, we will learn how collaborative solutions being implemented in Texas can be scaled up and exported globally to enhance resilience and equity.

October 15: In the first session, “Texas Water: Efforts to Make Every Drop Count,” Suzanne Scott, State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas (TNC), will moderate a panel discussion with TNC scientists and other experts that will explore nature-based solutions to protect critical water resources in Texas. Ms. Scott has dedicated a significant portion of her life to protecting and restoring the environment and
connecting communities with the natural resources around them. A regional leader on water, she oversees the execution of landscape-scale conservation efforts, freshwater and marine protection initiatives, and the development of sound science and policy solutions to address climate change. Before joining TNC, Ms. Scott spent more than two decades with the San Antonio River Authority.

October 23: The second session, “Reviving Houston’s Roots: Native Grass and Coastal Prairie,” will feature Sonia Najera, TNC Director of Landscape Initiatives, and Aaron Tjelmeland, TNC Restoration Program Director, who will introduce us to the 2,314-acre Texas City Prairie Preserve, an important demonstration site for native prairie restoration. The private tour will highlight the Preserve’s role in stormwater mitigation, water quality filtration, wildlife habitat support, and conservation education in the greater Houston area and across the State. Ms. Najera and her team collaborate with private landowners, government agencies, and conservation organizations to champion biodiversity and climate adaptation through innovative nature-based
solutions across Texas’ coastal, grassland, and forested regions. Prior to joining TNC, Ms. Najera worked as a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in the U.S. Mexico Affairs branch of the National
Park Service.

With 18 years of experience in grassland conservation and research, Mr. Tjelmeland spearheads a range of regional grassland restoration projects and oversees the management of coastal tallgrass prairie, bottomland
hardwood forest, and estuarine marsh preserves. Prior to working with TNC, he distinguished himself as an avian ecology researcher at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and later led an invasive plant research program.