About Us
We are the final cohort of Doris Duke Conservation Fellows (2011-2012) at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Being a part of the next generation of environmental leaders, we dedicate this blog to finding the way forward and to identifying the key attitudes and strategies that will help us solve the complex environmental and social problems we face.
From our diverse backgrounds and life experiences, we each bring a unique set of talents to our group:
Matt Covert is a graduate student in the Nelson Institute and in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
His interests include urban social, economic and environmental policy and sustainable agriculture.
In his spare time, Matt enjoys gardening, cooking, cross-country skiing, biking and spending time outside.
Chris Long is a master’s candidate in the Nelson Institute Water Resources Management program.
He is concerned with the equitable distribution of clean water for all people and species on a watershed scale.
He is also an artist and leverages his aesthetic sense to the understanding and communication of complex environmental problems.
Ryan Marsh is pursuing a master’s degree in in the Nelson Institute Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development program. Ryan has spent several years working on conservation issues with impoverished communities in Madagascar.
His research interests lie at the nexus of poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation and include forest governance, community-based natural resource management, payments for environmental services, and participatory analysis in the developing world tropics.
Holly Robertson is completing her degree in the Nelson Institute Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development professional master’s program.
Her research focuses on sustainable tourism and how to more effectively use tourism as a tool for conservation, while also providing benefits to local communities. To that end, Holly has been working with the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds to develop a birding trail project throughout the Caribbean region.
Vanessa Wishart is a dual degree candidate in the Wisconsin Law School and the Nelson Institute Environment and Resources program.
The focus of her research has been National Forest Planning Regulations, and she plans to pursue a career in environmental law.
Her interests include air and water regulation, land management and renewable energy.
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