Dr. Ann Willis is the California Regional Director for American Rivers where she leads the conservation program to conserve and protect rivers through a science-driven, project-based work. Her journey to river conservation began on the Middle Fork Salmon River, where she was introduced to whitewater rafting after graduating college. Her experience of belonging on that trip has guided each of her choices as she’s followed her passion for rivers and the communities that depend on them. Prior to joining American Rivers, Ann led a research program at the University of California Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. Her program focused on implementing stream conservation strategies on working landscapes; she partnered with conservation NGOs, agencies, and private landowners to advance conservation strategies throughout California, including the Klamath, Sacramento-San Joaquin, and North Coast watersheds. She has also worked in private consulting and at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and earned fellowships with the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, John Muir Institute for the Environment, and National Science Foundation.
Dr. Willis will lead the following talks and workshops: Heathy Rivers, Healthy Communities: How river conservation is the best medicine to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and social injustice.