Education
University of Colorado Boulder, CO
PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) December 2014
Advisors: Drs. Sharon Collinge, Chris Ray
University of Nevada Reno, NV
Masters of Science, Biology August 2007
Advisor: Dr. Peter Brussard
University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Biology (EPOB) May 1999
Work Experience related to Ecology and Environment
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System
Natural Resource Program Center, Branch of Air and Water Resources
Research Ecologist August 2020-current
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Las Vegas, NV
Wildlife Biologist/Habitat Conservation Plan Coordinator 2016-2020
Collaborated with various partners (other agency personnel, representatives from non-profit organizations, county/state officials, private landowners) to design and implement local and regional habitat conservation plans for threatened and endangered species, served as a guiding team member in the development of a Landscape Conservation Design (LCD) for the eastern Mojave Desert region, and provided climate change considerations and related input for species status assessments and other planning documents.
U. S. Department of Defense Camp Pendleton, CA
Ecologist 2015-2016
Determined impacts to threatened and endangered plant and wildlife species (18 listed species on base), conducted viability analyses and wrote management plans for listed species, served as a technical advisor for the development and implementation of climate change initiatives, habitat conservation initiatives, and other landscape scale conservation plans.
U.S. Department of State Fulbright Scholarship Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun
Research Scholar 2013-2014
Designed research project, collaborated with international partners, and collected and analyzed data for a project related to climate change impacts on alpine communities in India’s Himalaya.
Western Ecological Resource, Inc. Boulder, CO
Biologist Summers 2011-2013
Conducted rare/endangered species surveys and biological monitoring in various ecosystems throughout the state of Colorado.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department (EBIO) Univ. of Colorado, Boulder
Research Fellow/Associate Summer 2010-2012; Fall 2010 & 2011
Assisted with various aspects related to the development and implementation of a collaborative research project between several universities and the US National Park Service to assess wildlife and natural resource vulnerability in parks to predicted changes in climate.
University of California, Berkeley Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Site, CO
Research Technician 2009
Conducted vegetation sampling and monitoring for a collaborative research project among several universities and the US Department of Energy to examine the effects of climate change on tree line dynamics and alpine vegetation communities.
Colorado Natural Areas Program/Colorado State Parks Denver, CO
Natural Areas Ecologist 2008
Collaborated with multiple partners (private landowners, agency personnel, etc.) to conduct biological monitoring and assessment of designated special status and protected areas throughout Colorado.
Biological Resource Research Center Reno, NV
Wildlife Ecology Research Associate 2004-2007 Project management, data collection and analysis, and report writing for various ecological projects related to wildlife and vegetation communities in desert and alpine ecosystems throughout Nevada, California, Oregon.
National Park Service Lava Beds National Monument, CA
Research Assistant Summer 2005
Documented the distribution of and habitat characteristics associated with a climate sensitive species in the monument and established monitoring areas.
The Nature Conservancy Sycan Marsh Research Station, OR
Avian Ecologist 2003
Conducted habitat sampling, assessment and monitoring for a joint study undertaken by the Nature Conservancy and US Forest Service on the relationship of forest management practices to avian communities.
Wild Places Boulder, CO
Wildlife Technician 2001-2002
Conducted population assessment, translocations and wildlife monitoring of Black-tailed prairie dogs and prairie ecosystem restoration in Colorado.
Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research Center Minas Gerais, Brazil
Wildlife Technician 2001
Conducted habitat sampling and population status surveys for bird and small mammal species in the coastal rainforest of Brazil.
Work experience related to Education and Outreach
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Boulder, CO
Science Outreach Specialist Summer 2013
Reviewed and evaluated climate change outreach and education materials for the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN).
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Boulder, CO
Research Fellow in Science Outreach and Environmental Education 2012-2013
Worked as an outreach specialist and science communicator as part of a national science foundation (NSF) program that places STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) research fellows in K-12 schools.
University of Colorado, EBIO Department Boulder, CO
Lab Instructor, Teaching Assistant Fall 2009, 2014; Spring 2010-2012
Front Range Community College Westminster, CO
Lecturer, Lab Instructor Spring 2008
Plumas County School Readiness Program Portola, CA
Program Coordinator and Resource Advocate (bilingual position) 2003-2004
Elementary Spanish Program Boulder, CO
Assistant Director (bilingual position) 2001-2002
Thorne Ecological Institute Boulder, CO
Environmental Educator Summer 2000
Selected Presentations
B. Newman, R. Esralew, J. L. Wilkening. Examination of climate related threats to water resources in the National Wildlife Refuge System. USFWS Hydrology and Aquatic Resources Conservation (HARC) Webinar Series 2023 – 2024. Virtual. October 2023.
A. MacDonald, J. L. Wilkening, B. Stys, M. Hudson, A. Hanson. Assisted Migration - On the move and looking for evidence: What do we know about assisted migration’s effectiveness as a climate change adaptation strategy in protected and conserved areas? Invited presentation for the 27th Annual Meeting of the Canada/Mexico/U.S. Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management. Virtual. June 2023.
J. L. Wilkening, D. Asyn, A. Garcia, L. Lopez, D. Martinez, B. Newman, G. VanPraag, S. Covington, J. Ming. Linking managers and the next generation of conservation practitioners to prepare for a climatically uncertain future in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Oral presentation and organized symposium titled Improving wildlife management understanding and response to climate change: The Civilian Climate Corp on wildlife refuges. Annual Meeting of the International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR). Portland, ME. June 2023.
J. L. Wilkening, E. A. Beever, D. H. Wright, J. M. R. Hirose, plus 46 co-authors. Lower adaptive capacity among pikas than in other mountain-dwelling small mammals. 5th Conference of the North American Pika Consortium. Virtual. May 2023.
J. L. Wilkening, B. Stys, J. Goldberg, M. Hudson. Incorporating conservation introductions into USFWS management response to changing ecological conditions. Invited presentation for the NAWPA (North American Intergovernmental Committee on Cooperation on Wilderness and Protected Areas Conservation) Workshop on Assisted Migration. Virtual. April 2023.
M. Rice, J. L. Wilkening, D. R. Magness, S. Ward, K. Guilbeau. A new era in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: maintaining our conservation mission in a transforming world. Panel discussion at The Wildlife Society 29th Annual Conference. Spokane, WA. November 2022.
J.L. Wilkening, D.R. Magness, M. Rice. Taking Action to Resist, Accept or Direct (RAD) change: How Wildlife Managers Can Thrive in an Uncertain Future. The Wildlife Society monthly webinar series. Virtual. October 2022.
J.L. Wilkening, A. Garcia, B. Newman, D. Asyn, G. VanPraag, D. Martinez, L. Lopez, S. Covington, J. Ming. How the Civilian Climate Corps is informing aquatic resource conservation on National Wildlife Refuges. National Assembly for Aquatic Science and Hydrology (NAASH). National Conservation Training Center (NCTC), Shepherdstown, WV. September 2022.
J. L. Wilkening, C. Flanagan Pritz, K. Ko, C. Emery, J. Willacker, S.J. Nelson, J. Ming, C. Collins, T. Allen, C.
A. Eagles-Smith. Measuring unseen contaminants: Dragonfly larvae as mercury biosentinels on U.S. National Wildlife Refuges. The 107th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Montreal, Canada. August 2022.
J.L. Wilkening. How species distribution models can inform USFWS management decisions. Invited presentation for interactive session “Species Distribution Models in Practice - A Modeler-Practitioner Roundtable”. North American Congress for Conservation Biology (NACCB). Reno, NV. July 2022.
J. L. Wilkening. Climate change vulnerability assessment of North American herpetofauna. Annual Meeting of the Federal Agencies Steering Committee (FASC) for Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC). Virtual. June 2022.
J.L. Wilkening, S. Covington, K. Johnson, D.R. Magness, A. Harrington, J. Goldberg, M. Hudson, J. Burgett, M. Porath, J. Brennan. Resist, Accept, or Direct (RAD) ecological change? A wildlife manager’s dilemma. The Wildlife Society 28th Annual Conference. Virtual. November 2021.
J.L. Wilkening. Resist-Accept-Direct Framework for federal managers (keynote). Mojave Desert Network 2021 Science Symposium. Virtual. November 2021.
J.L. Wilkening, T. Allen, C. Collins, T. Gracer, M. Higgins, M.Locher, J, Ming. US National Wildlife Refuges and emerging contaminants. The 106th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Virtual. August 2021.
J.L. Wilkening, S. Hoffman, F. Sirchia. Threats, status and the future of Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert. Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Science Luncheon Webinar. February 2021.
J. L. Wilkening, J. Perkins, N. Hupp, G. Johnson, L. DeFalco, D. Shryock, P. Sanzenbacher. What does climate adaptation look like? Federal climate adaptation in action. The Wildlife Society 27th Annual Conference. Virtual. September 2020.
J. L. Wilkening, L. Kobelt, J. Hurja, M. Petrie, N. Hupp, F. Deffner, K. Holcomb, P. Sanzenbacher. Managing for socio-ecological change in the Mojave Desert. American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society 2019 Joint Annual Conference, Reno, NV 2019.
J. L. Wilkening, F. Sirchia, S. Hoffman, T. McKinney, J. Harrower, C. Walker. Assessing the current status and projected future of an iconic desert species, the Joshua tree. The 104th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Louisville, KY. August 2019.
J.L. Wilkening. Facing a hotter, drier future in the Mojave Desert. The Wildlife Society-American
Fisheries Society Synthesis Team on Ecosystem Transformation Workshop. Seattle, WA. November 2018.
J. L. Wilkening, T. Anderson, B. Wooldridge, D. Campbell, R. Sutter. Stories of conflict and
collaboration: A visual history of conservation planning in the lower Virgin river watershed. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Snowbird, UT. June 2018.
J.L. Wilkening, E. Cole, and E. A. Beever. Examining relationships among plants, pikas and climate change in the Great Basin. Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition Conference. Ely, NV. June 2017.
J. L. Wilkening and W. Prestera. Endangered species management and climate change: When conservation becomes a moving target. The Wildlife Society Western Section Annual Meeting. Pomona, CA. Feb 2016.
J. L. Wilkening, K. Sweazea, and C. Ray. Determining effects of microclimate on individual survival in the American pika. 3rd Conference of the North American Pika Consortium. Golden, CO. April 2015.
J. L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Parks, pikas, and physiological stress: Implications for long term monitoring of an NPS sentinel species. Science for parks, parks for Science: The Next Century. University of California, Berkeley, CA. March 2015.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and J.L. Varner. Using a metric of stress to characterize favorable microhabitats in an alpine indicator species. The 99th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Sacramento, CA. August 2014.
J.L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Characterizing relationships between microclimate, metrics of physiological stress and survival in a climate-sensitive mammal. American Society of Mammalogists 94th Annual Meeting. Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK. June 2014.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and J.L. Varner. Developing a bio-indicator of hydrological and climatic change for alpine ecosystems. YETI Meeting. Nagaland University, Lumami campus, India. December 2013.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and J.L. Varner. Pikas on ice: the presence of sub-surface water resources is associated with lower stress in the American pika (an alpine indicator species). The 11th International Mammalogical Congress. Queens University, Belfast, United Kingdom. August 2013.
J.L. Wilkening. Understanding projected climate change impacts on alpine mammal distribution in the Rocky Mountains. The 3rd annual meeting of the Front Range Pika Project (a citizen science program). Denver Zoo, CO. October 2012.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and Karen Sweazea. Techniques for measuring climate induced physiological stress in American pikas (Ochotona princeps). The 97th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR. August 2012.
J.L. Wilkening. Assessing predicted changes in climate on water and wildlife resources in alpine ecosystems. Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance Board Meeting. USDA Forest Service Boulder Ranger District Office. Boulder, CO. February 2012.
J.L. Wilkening. Collecting citizen science data to be incorporated into NPS climate change monitoring programs. The National Park Service (NPS) training for “Pikas in Peril” project volunteers. Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. June 2011 & 2012.
J.L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Estimating climate-mediated stress in a sentinel alpine species. European Science Foundation Thermadapt Meeting; Adaptation to climate from a spatial perspective. University of Helsinki, Finland. September 2011.
J.L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Physiological stress response and climate change in American pikas (Ochotona princeps). The George Wright Society Conference on Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites. New Orleans, LA. March 2011.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray, E. A. Beever and P.F. Brussard. Modeling contemporary range contraction in Great Basin pikas. 1St North American Pika Conference. Teton Science School, Jackson Hole, WY. March 2010.
Grants and Monetary Awards
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Performance award; November 2016-2020
U.S. Department of Interior STAR award; June 2017, August 2018
U.S. Department of Defense Performance award; December 2015
Physiological Ecology Section travel award; awarded June 2014
American Society of Mammalogists travel award; awarded April 2014
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology One Semester Fellowship; awarded January 2014
Fulbright Scholarship; awarded August 2013
Joyce Gellhorn Grant; awarded June 2013
American Alpine Club Research Grant; awarded May 2013
American Society of Mammalogists Grant-in-Aid of Research; awarded May 2013
Exploration Fund Grant; awarded April 2013
CIRES Graduate Student Travel Fellowship; awarded January 2013
Ecological Society of America Travel Grant; awarded June 2012
Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance Scholarship; awarded June 2012, May 2011
Ecology and Evol. Biology Research Grant; awarded May 2012, April 2011
Boulder County Nature Association Research Grant; awarded April 2012
Colorado Mountain Club Neal B. Kindig Fellowship; awarded May 2011
Nat’l Park Service George Wright Climate Change Fellowship; awarded June 2010
Peer Review Service
Journal Reviewer: Behavioral Ecology, Conservation Science and Practice, Ecography, Ecology and Evolution, Fisheries Management and Ecology, Global Change Biology, Integrative Zoology, Journal of Biogeography, Journal of Environmental Informatics, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, Journal of Mammalogy, Journal of Mountain Science, Journal of Wildlife Management, Journal of Zoology, Mammalian Biology, Northwestern Naturalist, Oikos, PLOS One, Western North American Naturalist, Wildlife Research, Wildlife Society Bulletin
Associate Editor: Journal of Wildlife Management, PLOS Climate
US Department of the Interior Reviewer: Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES) Assessments, Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4)
Review Panel Member:
--Proposal reviewer for the U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) for a solicitation on: “Threatened, Endangered, and At Risk Terrestrial Species' Response to Multiple Stressors”; Virtual, March-April 2021.
--Proposal reviewer for the USFWS International Affairs Great Ape Conservation Fund, Asian Elephnat Conservation Fund, and Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund; Washington, DC. May-June 2018, March 2019
--External reviewer for the Department of the Interior Southwest Climate Science Center; Tucson, AZ. February 2017.
Selected Professional Service Activities
--Chapter author for the USGCRP Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) Ecosystems chapter (2021-current)
--Board member The Wildlife Society’s Climate Change & Wildlife Working Group (2019-current)
--Member IUCN Climate Change Specialist Group (2018-current)
--Selection Committee Member The Wildlife Society’s Wildlife Restoration Award (2019-current)
--USFWS Representative on the Science and Research Team for the Southern Nevada Inter-Agency Partnership (recommends proposals for SNPLMA funding); 2017-2020
--Coordinating Team Member Eastern Mojave Conservation Collaborative LCD (2016-2020)
--Conference Organizer, Session Organizer/Chair, Abstract Reviewer: The Wildlife Society annual meeting, Conference of the North American Pika Consortium, Ecological Society of America annual meeting, International Conference on Ecology and Transportation
--Selection Committee Member (2016-2018) and Chair (2018-2019) Wildlife’s Society Aldo Leopold Memorial Award
--Steering Committee Member Virgin River Integrated Watershed Management Plan (2016-2018)
--Invited Participant at the Southwest Adaptation Forum (2018, 2021) and the 4th National Climate Assessment Southwest Regional Engagement Workshop (2017) hosted by the DOI Southwest CASC
--Selected Participant Applications of Spatial Data: Ecological Niche Modeling workshop hosted by the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS, 2018)
--Scientific advisor for the Front Range Pika Project and Founding Member of the North American Pika Consortium, citizen science groups which gather, interpret and share inventory and monitoring data related to climate change mitigation and wildlife adaptation in alpine communities (2009-2014)
--Facilitator Consortium for Integrated Climate Research in Western Mountains meeting (2012)
--Mentor and Field Supervisor for REU (research experience for undergraduates) and BURST (bioscience undergraduate research skills and training program) students on multiple research projects; the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER) and Boulder Watershed, summer 2011-2013.
--Assistant for science discovery field course: educated high school students about predicted climate change impacts on alpine resources, and assisted with demonstration of field data collection protocols; University of Colorado Mountain Research Station, July 2011 and 2012.
--Invited guest speaker Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at the Denver Zoo, October 2012; Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance board meeting, February 2011; 6th annual National Park Service/National Geographic Society Bio-Blitz at Rocky Mountain National Park, August 2012.
--Instructor for project volunteer training sessions on wildlife monitoring and data collection protocols for volunteers, agency employees, managers, and other stakeholders; University of Colorado, Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park, June 2011 & 2012.
--Judge Boulder Valley School District Science Fair and Las Vegas Science Olympiad Tournament; February 2013, 2012 and March 2018, 2019
--Contributor to the Great Basin Information Project, a collaborative effort created by federal management agencies and environmental NGOs to provide access to biological information related to climate change and ecosystems services in the Great Basin; 2009-2014
--Boulder County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board; board member 2008-2010
Additional Skills
--Fluent Spanish communication skills, intermediate Portuguese, beginning Hindi
--Experience in PC and Macintosh with word processing (Word, MS Word, others), spreadsheet (MS Excel, MS Works), data management/statistical packages (SAS, JMP, R, MS Access, Program MARK, PRESENCE, DISTANCE, Marxan, MaxEnt), ArcGIS (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcToolbox, Spatial Analyst) and GPS (Magellan, Trimble, Garmin systems), data loggers and associated software (iButton, HOBO)
--Wilderness First Responder certified, Level I Avalanche certified
References available upon request
University of Colorado Boulder, CO
PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) December 2014
Advisors: Drs. Sharon Collinge, Chris Ray
University of Nevada Reno, NV
Masters of Science, Biology August 2007
Advisor: Dr. Peter Brussard
University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Biology (EPOB) May 1999
Work Experience related to Ecology and Environment
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System
Natural Resource Program Center, Branch of Air and Water Resources
Research Ecologist August 2020-current
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Las Vegas, NV
Wildlife Biologist/Habitat Conservation Plan Coordinator 2016-2020
Collaborated with various partners (other agency personnel, representatives from non-profit organizations, county/state officials, private landowners) to design and implement local and regional habitat conservation plans for threatened and endangered species, served as a guiding team member in the development of a Landscape Conservation Design (LCD) for the eastern Mojave Desert region, and provided climate change considerations and related input for species status assessments and other planning documents.
U. S. Department of Defense Camp Pendleton, CA
Ecologist 2015-2016
Determined impacts to threatened and endangered plant and wildlife species (18 listed species on base), conducted viability analyses and wrote management plans for listed species, served as a technical advisor for the development and implementation of climate change initiatives, habitat conservation initiatives, and other landscape scale conservation plans.
U.S. Department of State Fulbright Scholarship Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun
Research Scholar 2013-2014
Designed research project, collaborated with international partners, and collected and analyzed data for a project related to climate change impacts on alpine communities in India’s Himalaya.
Western Ecological Resource, Inc. Boulder, CO
Biologist Summers 2011-2013
Conducted rare/endangered species surveys and biological monitoring in various ecosystems throughout the state of Colorado.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department (EBIO) Univ. of Colorado, Boulder
Research Fellow/Associate Summer 2010-2012; Fall 2010 & 2011
Assisted with various aspects related to the development and implementation of a collaborative research project between several universities and the US National Park Service to assess wildlife and natural resource vulnerability in parks to predicted changes in climate.
University of California, Berkeley Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Site, CO
Research Technician 2009
Conducted vegetation sampling and monitoring for a collaborative research project among several universities and the US Department of Energy to examine the effects of climate change on tree line dynamics and alpine vegetation communities.
Colorado Natural Areas Program/Colorado State Parks Denver, CO
Natural Areas Ecologist 2008
Collaborated with multiple partners (private landowners, agency personnel, etc.) to conduct biological monitoring and assessment of designated special status and protected areas throughout Colorado.
Biological Resource Research Center Reno, NV
Wildlife Ecology Research Associate 2004-2007 Project management, data collection and analysis, and report writing for various ecological projects related to wildlife and vegetation communities in desert and alpine ecosystems throughout Nevada, California, Oregon.
National Park Service Lava Beds National Monument, CA
Research Assistant Summer 2005
Documented the distribution of and habitat characteristics associated with a climate sensitive species in the monument and established monitoring areas.
The Nature Conservancy Sycan Marsh Research Station, OR
Avian Ecologist 2003
Conducted habitat sampling, assessment and monitoring for a joint study undertaken by the Nature Conservancy and US Forest Service on the relationship of forest management practices to avian communities.
Wild Places Boulder, CO
Wildlife Technician 2001-2002
Conducted population assessment, translocations and wildlife monitoring of Black-tailed prairie dogs and prairie ecosystem restoration in Colorado.
Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research Center Minas Gerais, Brazil
Wildlife Technician 2001
Conducted habitat sampling and population status surveys for bird and small mammal species in the coastal rainforest of Brazil.
Work experience related to Education and Outreach
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Boulder, CO
Science Outreach Specialist Summer 2013
Reviewed and evaluated climate change outreach and education materials for the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN).
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Boulder, CO
Research Fellow in Science Outreach and Environmental Education 2012-2013
Worked as an outreach specialist and science communicator as part of a national science foundation (NSF) program that places STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) research fellows in K-12 schools.
University of Colorado, EBIO Department Boulder, CO
Lab Instructor, Teaching Assistant Fall 2009, 2014; Spring 2010-2012
Front Range Community College Westminster, CO
Lecturer, Lab Instructor Spring 2008
Plumas County School Readiness Program Portola, CA
Program Coordinator and Resource Advocate (bilingual position) 2003-2004
Elementary Spanish Program Boulder, CO
Assistant Director (bilingual position) 2001-2002
Thorne Ecological Institute Boulder, CO
Environmental Educator Summer 2000
Selected Presentations
B. Newman, R. Esralew, J. L. Wilkening. Examination of climate related threats to water resources in the National Wildlife Refuge System. USFWS Hydrology and Aquatic Resources Conservation (HARC) Webinar Series 2023 – 2024. Virtual. October 2023.
A. MacDonald, J. L. Wilkening, B. Stys, M. Hudson, A. Hanson. Assisted Migration - On the move and looking for evidence: What do we know about assisted migration’s effectiveness as a climate change adaptation strategy in protected and conserved areas? Invited presentation for the 27th Annual Meeting of the Canada/Mexico/U.S. Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management. Virtual. June 2023.
J. L. Wilkening, D. Asyn, A. Garcia, L. Lopez, D. Martinez, B. Newman, G. VanPraag, S. Covington, J. Ming. Linking managers and the next generation of conservation practitioners to prepare for a climatically uncertain future in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Oral presentation and organized symposium titled Improving wildlife management understanding and response to climate change: The Civilian Climate Corp on wildlife refuges. Annual Meeting of the International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR). Portland, ME. June 2023.
J. L. Wilkening, E. A. Beever, D. H. Wright, J. M. R. Hirose, plus 46 co-authors. Lower adaptive capacity among pikas than in other mountain-dwelling small mammals. 5th Conference of the North American Pika Consortium. Virtual. May 2023.
J. L. Wilkening, B. Stys, J. Goldberg, M. Hudson. Incorporating conservation introductions into USFWS management response to changing ecological conditions. Invited presentation for the NAWPA (North American Intergovernmental Committee on Cooperation on Wilderness and Protected Areas Conservation) Workshop on Assisted Migration. Virtual. April 2023.
M. Rice, J. L. Wilkening, D. R. Magness, S. Ward, K. Guilbeau. A new era in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: maintaining our conservation mission in a transforming world. Panel discussion at The Wildlife Society 29th Annual Conference. Spokane, WA. November 2022.
J.L. Wilkening, D.R. Magness, M. Rice. Taking Action to Resist, Accept or Direct (RAD) change: How Wildlife Managers Can Thrive in an Uncertain Future. The Wildlife Society monthly webinar series. Virtual. October 2022.
J.L. Wilkening, A. Garcia, B. Newman, D. Asyn, G. VanPraag, D. Martinez, L. Lopez, S. Covington, J. Ming. How the Civilian Climate Corps is informing aquatic resource conservation on National Wildlife Refuges. National Assembly for Aquatic Science and Hydrology (NAASH). National Conservation Training Center (NCTC), Shepherdstown, WV. September 2022.
J. L. Wilkening, C. Flanagan Pritz, K. Ko, C. Emery, J. Willacker, S.J. Nelson, J. Ming, C. Collins, T. Allen, C.
A. Eagles-Smith. Measuring unseen contaminants: Dragonfly larvae as mercury biosentinels on U.S. National Wildlife Refuges. The 107th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Montreal, Canada. August 2022.
J.L. Wilkening. How species distribution models can inform USFWS management decisions. Invited presentation for interactive session “Species Distribution Models in Practice - A Modeler-Practitioner Roundtable”. North American Congress for Conservation Biology (NACCB). Reno, NV. July 2022.
J. L. Wilkening. Climate change vulnerability assessment of North American herpetofauna. Annual Meeting of the Federal Agencies Steering Committee (FASC) for Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC). Virtual. June 2022.
J.L. Wilkening, S. Covington, K. Johnson, D.R. Magness, A. Harrington, J. Goldberg, M. Hudson, J. Burgett, M. Porath, J. Brennan. Resist, Accept, or Direct (RAD) ecological change? A wildlife manager’s dilemma. The Wildlife Society 28th Annual Conference. Virtual. November 2021.
J.L. Wilkening. Resist-Accept-Direct Framework for federal managers (keynote). Mojave Desert Network 2021 Science Symposium. Virtual. November 2021.
J.L. Wilkening, T. Allen, C. Collins, T. Gracer, M. Higgins, M.Locher, J, Ming. US National Wildlife Refuges and emerging contaminants. The 106th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Virtual. August 2021.
J.L. Wilkening, S. Hoffman, F. Sirchia. Threats, status and the future of Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert. Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Science Luncheon Webinar. February 2021.
J. L. Wilkening, J. Perkins, N. Hupp, G. Johnson, L. DeFalco, D. Shryock, P. Sanzenbacher. What does climate adaptation look like? Federal climate adaptation in action. The Wildlife Society 27th Annual Conference. Virtual. September 2020.
J. L. Wilkening, L. Kobelt, J. Hurja, M. Petrie, N. Hupp, F. Deffner, K. Holcomb, P. Sanzenbacher. Managing for socio-ecological change in the Mojave Desert. American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society 2019 Joint Annual Conference, Reno, NV 2019.
J. L. Wilkening, F. Sirchia, S. Hoffman, T. McKinney, J. Harrower, C. Walker. Assessing the current status and projected future of an iconic desert species, the Joshua tree. The 104th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Louisville, KY. August 2019.
J.L. Wilkening. Facing a hotter, drier future in the Mojave Desert. The Wildlife Society-American
Fisheries Society Synthesis Team on Ecosystem Transformation Workshop. Seattle, WA. November 2018.
J. L. Wilkening, T. Anderson, B. Wooldridge, D. Campbell, R. Sutter. Stories of conflict and
collaboration: A visual history of conservation planning in the lower Virgin river watershed. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Snowbird, UT. June 2018.
J.L. Wilkening, E. Cole, and E. A. Beever. Examining relationships among plants, pikas and climate change in the Great Basin. Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition Conference. Ely, NV. June 2017.
J. L. Wilkening and W. Prestera. Endangered species management and climate change: When conservation becomes a moving target. The Wildlife Society Western Section Annual Meeting. Pomona, CA. Feb 2016.
J. L. Wilkening, K. Sweazea, and C. Ray. Determining effects of microclimate on individual survival in the American pika. 3rd Conference of the North American Pika Consortium. Golden, CO. April 2015.
J. L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Parks, pikas, and physiological stress: Implications for long term monitoring of an NPS sentinel species. Science for parks, parks for Science: The Next Century. University of California, Berkeley, CA. March 2015.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and J.L. Varner. Using a metric of stress to characterize favorable microhabitats in an alpine indicator species. The 99th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Sacramento, CA. August 2014.
J.L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Characterizing relationships between microclimate, metrics of physiological stress and survival in a climate-sensitive mammal. American Society of Mammalogists 94th Annual Meeting. Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK. June 2014.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and J.L. Varner. Developing a bio-indicator of hydrological and climatic change for alpine ecosystems. YETI Meeting. Nagaland University, Lumami campus, India. December 2013.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and J.L. Varner. Pikas on ice: the presence of sub-surface water resources is associated with lower stress in the American pika (an alpine indicator species). The 11th International Mammalogical Congress. Queens University, Belfast, United Kingdom. August 2013.
J.L. Wilkening. Understanding projected climate change impacts on alpine mammal distribution in the Rocky Mountains. The 3rd annual meeting of the Front Range Pika Project (a citizen science program). Denver Zoo, CO. October 2012.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray and Karen Sweazea. Techniques for measuring climate induced physiological stress in American pikas (Ochotona princeps). The 97th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR. August 2012.
J.L. Wilkening. Assessing predicted changes in climate on water and wildlife resources in alpine ecosystems. Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance Board Meeting. USDA Forest Service Boulder Ranger District Office. Boulder, CO. February 2012.
J.L. Wilkening. Collecting citizen science data to be incorporated into NPS climate change monitoring programs. The National Park Service (NPS) training for “Pikas in Peril” project volunteers. Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. June 2011 & 2012.
J.L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Estimating climate-mediated stress in a sentinel alpine species. European Science Foundation Thermadapt Meeting; Adaptation to climate from a spatial perspective. University of Helsinki, Finland. September 2011.
J.L. Wilkening and C. Ray. Physiological stress response and climate change in American pikas (Ochotona princeps). The George Wright Society Conference on Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites. New Orleans, LA. March 2011.
J.L. Wilkening, C. Ray, E. A. Beever and P.F. Brussard. Modeling contemporary range contraction in Great Basin pikas. 1St North American Pika Conference. Teton Science School, Jackson Hole, WY. March 2010.
Grants and Monetary Awards
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Performance award; November 2016-2020
U.S. Department of Interior STAR award; June 2017, August 2018
U.S. Department of Defense Performance award; December 2015
Physiological Ecology Section travel award; awarded June 2014
American Society of Mammalogists travel award; awarded April 2014
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology One Semester Fellowship; awarded January 2014
Fulbright Scholarship; awarded August 2013
Joyce Gellhorn Grant; awarded June 2013
American Alpine Club Research Grant; awarded May 2013
American Society of Mammalogists Grant-in-Aid of Research; awarded May 2013
Exploration Fund Grant; awarded April 2013
CIRES Graduate Student Travel Fellowship; awarded January 2013
Ecological Society of America Travel Grant; awarded June 2012
Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance Scholarship; awarded June 2012, May 2011
Ecology and Evol. Biology Research Grant; awarded May 2012, April 2011
Boulder County Nature Association Research Grant; awarded April 2012
Colorado Mountain Club Neal B. Kindig Fellowship; awarded May 2011
Nat’l Park Service George Wright Climate Change Fellowship; awarded June 2010
Peer Review Service
Journal Reviewer: Behavioral Ecology, Conservation Science and Practice, Ecography, Ecology and Evolution, Fisheries Management and Ecology, Global Change Biology, Integrative Zoology, Journal of Biogeography, Journal of Environmental Informatics, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, Journal of Mammalogy, Journal of Mountain Science, Journal of Wildlife Management, Journal of Zoology, Mammalian Biology, Northwestern Naturalist, Oikos, PLOS One, Western North American Naturalist, Wildlife Research, Wildlife Society Bulletin
Associate Editor: Journal of Wildlife Management, PLOS Climate
US Department of the Interior Reviewer: Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES) Assessments, Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4)
Review Panel Member:
--Proposal reviewer for the U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) for a solicitation on: “Threatened, Endangered, and At Risk Terrestrial Species' Response to Multiple Stressors”; Virtual, March-April 2021.
--Proposal reviewer for the USFWS International Affairs Great Ape Conservation Fund, Asian Elephnat Conservation Fund, and Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund; Washington, DC. May-June 2018, March 2019
--External reviewer for the Department of the Interior Southwest Climate Science Center; Tucson, AZ. February 2017.
Selected Professional Service Activities
--Chapter author for the USGCRP Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) Ecosystems chapter (2021-current)
--Board member The Wildlife Society’s Climate Change & Wildlife Working Group (2019-current)
--Member IUCN Climate Change Specialist Group (2018-current)
--Selection Committee Member The Wildlife Society’s Wildlife Restoration Award (2019-current)
--USFWS Representative on the Science and Research Team for the Southern Nevada Inter-Agency Partnership (recommends proposals for SNPLMA funding); 2017-2020
--Coordinating Team Member Eastern Mojave Conservation Collaborative LCD (2016-2020)
--Conference Organizer, Session Organizer/Chair, Abstract Reviewer: The Wildlife Society annual meeting, Conference of the North American Pika Consortium, Ecological Society of America annual meeting, International Conference on Ecology and Transportation
--Selection Committee Member (2016-2018) and Chair (2018-2019) Wildlife’s Society Aldo Leopold Memorial Award
--Steering Committee Member Virgin River Integrated Watershed Management Plan (2016-2018)
--Invited Participant at the Southwest Adaptation Forum (2018, 2021) and the 4th National Climate Assessment Southwest Regional Engagement Workshop (2017) hosted by the DOI Southwest CASC
--Selected Participant Applications of Spatial Data: Ecological Niche Modeling workshop hosted by the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS, 2018)
--Scientific advisor for the Front Range Pika Project and Founding Member of the North American Pika Consortium, citizen science groups which gather, interpret and share inventory and monitoring data related to climate change mitigation and wildlife adaptation in alpine communities (2009-2014)
--Facilitator Consortium for Integrated Climate Research in Western Mountains meeting (2012)
--Mentor and Field Supervisor for REU (research experience for undergraduates) and BURST (bioscience undergraduate research skills and training program) students on multiple research projects; the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER) and Boulder Watershed, summer 2011-2013.
--Assistant for science discovery field course: educated high school students about predicted climate change impacts on alpine resources, and assisted with demonstration of field data collection protocols; University of Colorado Mountain Research Station, July 2011 and 2012.
--Invited guest speaker Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at the Denver Zoo, October 2012; Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance board meeting, February 2011; 6th annual National Park Service/National Geographic Society Bio-Blitz at Rocky Mountain National Park, August 2012.
--Instructor for project volunteer training sessions on wildlife monitoring and data collection protocols for volunteers, agency employees, managers, and other stakeholders; University of Colorado, Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park, June 2011 & 2012.
--Judge Boulder Valley School District Science Fair and Las Vegas Science Olympiad Tournament; February 2013, 2012 and March 2018, 2019
--Contributor to the Great Basin Information Project, a collaborative effort created by federal management agencies and environmental NGOs to provide access to biological information related to climate change and ecosystems services in the Great Basin; 2009-2014
--Boulder County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board; board member 2008-2010
Additional Skills
--Fluent Spanish communication skills, intermediate Portuguese, beginning Hindi
--Experience in PC and Macintosh with word processing (Word, MS Word, others), spreadsheet (MS Excel, MS Works), data management/statistical packages (SAS, JMP, R, MS Access, Program MARK, PRESENCE, DISTANCE, Marxan, MaxEnt), ArcGIS (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcToolbox, Spatial Analyst) and GPS (Magellan, Trimble, Garmin systems), data loggers and associated software (iButton, HOBO)
--Wilderness First Responder certified, Level I Avalanche certified
References available upon request