Nichole Barger – Science as a Catalyst for Human Connection

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Nichole Barger is an ecologist, former university professor, and the current deputy chief scientist and lead global scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She earned her master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her PhD from Colorado State University, and her career has included extensive time researching, teaching, and practicing on-the-ground, frontline conservation on issues including land degradation, restoration, and more. Prior to assuming her current position at TNC, she was the research director of the Canyonlands Research Center located at the Dugout Ranch, which you may remember as the subject of a Mountain & Prairie episode back in August of 2024.

Given her distinguished career as a scientist, you might be surprised to learn that Nichole never considered pursuing science as a vocation until the second half of her time in college. She grew up in small-town Indiana, and, although she was extremely curious, a great student, and a voracious reader, she was not particularly enamored with science and didn’t know anyone who worked as a scientist. But during college, a supportive-yet-casual comment from one of her professors planted the seed that science could be an option. Fast forward to today, she has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, she co-chairs the Science Policy Interface group of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and she leads many of TNC’s cutting-edge science initiatives.

As you’ll hear, Nichole brings a deep level of empathy, curiosity, and open-mindedness to all of her work as a scientist. Whether she’s teaching, researching, or working with conservation stakeholders, she never loses sight of the importance of human connection. We spent the first half of the conversation discussing lessons learned from her nontraditional path into the world of science, including a two-year stint where she left college to travel and explore the United States. We discussed her renewed focus on academics when she returned to school, and the moment that professor planted the seed that eventually grew into her career in science. We discuss teaching versus research, how she evolved as an educator and mentor to college students, and when she decided to apply her talents to TNC’s mission. We discuss TNC’s incorporation of Indigenous wisdom and science into its work, human health as a conservation initiative, and the importance of face-to-face human interactions. She also offers some excellent book recommendations and ideas for remaining optimistic and action-oriented during challenging times.

There’s so much wisdom packed into this episode, so be sure to check out the episode notes for a complete list of topics and links to everything. A huge thanks to Nichole for the great conversation and thank you for listening.

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Nichole Barger
TNC’s science work
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nichole-barger/

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

4:00 - Nichole’s upbringing and early years
7:45 - Taking a non-traditional path and her parents’ reaction
9:30 - Lessons learned from her two-year break
11:00 - Books read in high school that gave Nichole confidence to follow her own path
12:30 - Returning to school with a renewed focus
15:30 - Advice to college students who are trying to find their way in the world
18:15 - Her journey to becoming a successful scientist
20:30 - Research versus teaching
22:45 - Lessons learned from years of teaching
26:30 - When and how TNC became a professional focus
29:30 - Nichole describes her current job at TNC
31:15 - Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into TNC’s science work
40:00 - The importance and power of weaving in Indigenous knowledge
43:00 - Human health as a conservation initiative
47:00 - “Doom and Gloom” is not a motivating strategy
50:00 - Online resources for news and science (that won’t make you crazy)
52:00 - The importance of physcially being with other people
53:15 - The most exciting project Nichole is working on
55:00 - What can the average person do to take action and make a difference
59:00 - Book recommendations
1:03:00 - Parting words of wisdom

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