Learn more about our team and our mission, recent accomplishments, and new directions.
We recognize that a resilient and thriving planet is only possible if tens of thousands of people from across the globe have the motivation and capacity to work towards this vision. Our power of convening supports the partnerships and collaboration required to identify, implement, and scale long-term solutions for nature conservation. We work to protect and connect biologically and culturally important landscapes, restore and rewild critical habitats and species, and establish and demonstrate how we can meet ambitious global targets.
Our Work
RESOLVE’s Conservation Solutions leverages our technical expertise and collaborative approach to envision and implement transformative conservation projects and products to protect our natural world and support the people and wildlife that depend on it.
We work across three focal areas – Nature Lift, Resource Mediation, and Conservation Enterprises – creating a holistic approach where science, partnerships, and innovation come together to drive lasting impact. By addressing the urgent need for protecting critical sites, facilitating collaborative solutions, and designing sustainable funding models, we close the divide between conservation challenges and actionable solutions.
For highlights from the past year, please see the following video:
Nature Lift: protecting and restoring critical sites for conservation
Conservation Imperatives | Global Safety Net | Quick Response Fund for Nature | Large Mammal Rewilding | Stein Nahatlatch Initiative | TerrAdapt | Tembo Pilipili | Ecoregions
We lead with science, provide rapid funding to communities in need, and support partners to design and implement large scale conservation and restoration visions. We are committed to resourcing protection of the Conservation Imperatives – the 1.2% of Earth’s terrestrial surface that hosts the world’s rarest and most endangered species – as well as to helping ensure a commitment to protect half the Earth for nature is realized. Leveraging unmatched expertise and innovative strategies, we work with companies and financial institutions to advance their Nature Positive commitments by aligning their operations and investments with science-driven conservation goals, while building the business case for nature-based solutions. This next year, through the development of a Nature Lift Fund, we will provide a mechanism to identify, vet, and monitor high-priority projects, ensuring they deliver biodiversity positive outcomes.
Resource Mediation: facilitating solutions and driving consensus for action
MRRIC | The Resource Exchange | Collaborative Ocean Stewardship
We believe the ability to work together collaboratively to resolve differences is essential to preserving biodiversity and promoting functional coexistence between people and nature. With our partners, we coordinate, facilitate, and foster collaborative solutions and implement strategies to protect and restore the Earth’s natural ecosystems. We work with organizations to develop strategic plans by helping them assess their current capabilities and mission, identify external and internal drivers, and craft a path forward to a more dynamic future. Practice areas include coordinating and facilitating work to restore river ecosystems, supporting collaborative ocean stewardship around deep seabed mining, and supporting the creation of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in Canada. As agreements grow more complex and global demand for natural resources increases, we seek to leverage our expertise and build a global network of mediators to lead collaboration in natural resources management.
Conservation Enterprises: designing, scaling, and launching impact-driven business
Salmon Gold | Regeneration | Nightjar | RESOLVE Enterprises
We see a need for new, sustainable funding models to inspire and deliver solutions to our most challenging planet problems. We have created RESOLVE Enterprises to design, launch, and scale enterprises and funding platforms that solve environmental problems. Our first social enterprise, Nightjar, has developed the world’s most advanced AI enabled wildlife camera, which is helping to safeguard communities, prevent poaching and monitor wildlife in more than 25 protected areas in Asia, Africa, and South America. Through Salmon Gold and Regeneration, we are addressing pollutants at legacy mine sites, extracting critical minerals, and restoring habitat. We are keen to work with partners to implement these solutions in areas of shared interest and to co-create new enterprises that address critical conservation challenges.
Our Team
We are systems thinkers and implementers who understand the interconnectedness of the physical environment, social structures, and human wellbeing. We take on controversial and contentious issues – sometimes scientifically complex and highly emotional – and engage key stakeholders that are often left out of important discussions. We know how to forge unlikely partnerships, identify and resolve differences, and overcome obstacles to translate ambitious ideas into concrete actions. While we’re a small group, we reach and influence a global community of change-makers that affect policy, as well as grassroots community leaders.
Carly Vynne, PhD - Chief Program Officer; Director, Conservation Solutions Program
Ecologist | Wildlife Biologist | Conservation Strategist | Participatory Conservation Planner
Carly Vynne is RESOLVE's Chief Program Officer and Director of the Conservation Solutions Program, where she develops strategies to restore and protect nature. She supports global biodiversity research, manages the Quick Response Fund for Nature, and develops community-led conservation initiatives. Her PhD research brought her to Brazil, where she studied maned wolves, giant anteaters, and jaguars of the Cerrado grasslands. Carly also co-founded TerrAdapt, a tool to guide land-use decisions for species and ecosystem protection.
Maya Breitburg-Smith - Senior Specialist, Consensus Building
Mediator | Collaborative Process Design Specialist | Natural Resource Management | Environmental Health
Maya Breitburg-Smith is a Senior Specialist in Consensus Building at RESOLVE, where she facilitates collaborative processes on environmental, natural resources, and public health issues. At RESOLVE, Maya brings expertise and strategic facilitation to help stakeholders achieve sustainable solutions. Projects have included tribal and endangered species issues on the Missouri River, climate policy coordination, and disaster preparedness planning. Prior to RESOLVE, Maya served for three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji.
Alex Chang’a - Project Lead, Tembo Pilipili
Collaborative Leader | Policy Advocate | Community-Based Solutions | Human-Wildlife Coexistence | Wildlife-Friendly Agriculture
Alex Chang'a is the Field Programs Coordinator for RESOLVE's Biodiversity and Wildlife Solutions Program. Based in Tanzania, he oversees the Tembo-Pilipili project, conducting training workshops on using chili-based methods (including fences, briquettes, and planting chili) for protection against crop-raiding elephants to communities surrounding Mikumi, Tarangire, Ruaha, and Serengeti National Parks. He also engages with government agencies and other stakeholders to propose and implement legislation that promotes sustainable, community-based solutions to human-wildlife conflict.
Paul De Morgan - Expert, Consensus Building
Expert Facilitator & Mediator | Program Management | Strategic Planning | Collaborative Process Specialist
Paul De Morgan is an Expert in Consensus Building for RESOLVE based in Logan, Utah. Paul facilitates and mediates multi-party, consensus-oriented policy dialogues and site-specific dispute resolution processes. His work focuses on issues related to natural resource management and species conservation and management. He has also worked on projects addressing issues in biotechnology and trends in agriculture.
Before joining RESOLVE, Paul worked with The Keystone Center. Now, at RESOLVE, Paul helps individuals, agencies, conservation groups, and industry stakeholders think about solving problems and creating solutions in new, interest-based ways.
Eric Dinerstein - Senior Expert, Biodiversity
Expert in Biodiversity | Researcher | Wildlife Scientist | Program Design Specialist | Conservation Technology
Dr. Eric Dinerstein is a Senior Expert in Biodiversity at RESOLVE. For much of the past twenty-five years he was Chief Scientist at the World Wildlife Fund. Beginning in 1975, he conducted pioneering studies of tigers and their prey and led conservation programs for large mammals, such as the greater one-horned rhinoceros and Asiatic elephant. Eric helped create the conservation plans for many iconic places - including the Galapagos, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Himalayas, the panda mountains of China, and the northern Great Plains of Montana. He has conservation experience in many countries and has published widely on large mammal conservation, including books on rhinos and tigers.
Sanjiv Fernando - Research Program Coordinator & Project Manager - Biodiversity
Wildlife Conservationist | Project Manager | Researcher | Partnership Specialist | Human-Wildlife Coexistence | Nature Positive
Sanjiv Fernando is a Research Program Coordinator and Project Manager for RESOLVE's Conservation Solutions team, focusing on conserving threatened species, habitat protection, human-wildlife coexistence, and strategic coalition building. Sanjiv coordinates the Quick Response Fund for Nature, manages coexistence initiatives, applies spatial analysis to global conservation issues, and supports program management.
Since joining RESOLVE in 2016, he has worked on projects including developing and implementing conservation technologies for wildlife protection and social impact enterprises. Before RESOLVE, he was a Geospatial Consultant at Winrock International and earned a Master's from Clark University, researching human-leopard conflict near Sri Lanka's Yala National Park.
Nathan Hahn - Senior Research Scientist
Conservation Biologist | Researcher | Community-Based Solutions | Conservation Technology | Human-Wildlife Coexistence
Nathan Hahn is a Senior Scientist for the Conservation Solutions program at RESOLVE, and holds a joint science position with TerrAdapt. Nathan is a conservation biologist with expertise in spatial ecology and species modeling in large landscapes. His interests lay in determining how humans and climate impact species populations and landscapes, and co-developing solutions with communities. In his role at RESOLVE, Nathan supports global biodiversity assessment work and landscape conservation planning projects.
Nathan has worked in systems in Kenya, Tanzania, India, Indonesia, and the US, with a primary focus on studying animal movement and human-wildlife interactions, and testing mitigation tools for human-wildlife conflicts. Nathan holds a PhD in ecology from Colorado State University.
Andy Lee - Program Coordinator and Research Scientist for Biodiversity
Researcher | Conservation Ecology | Conservation Planning | Data Analyst | Grant Specialist | Conservation Technology | Human-Wildlife Coexistence
Andy Lee is a Program Coordinator and Research Scientist for Biodiversity at RESOLVE, focusing on advancing the organization's social enterprise, Nightjar. He oversees the development and deployment of TrailGuard projects, collaborating with international conservation groups to deliver the AI-enabled camera-alert system. Andy researches global biodiversity conservation, including the Global Safety Net and Conservation Imperatives, while facilitating grant-making to expand protection into endangered habitats. His mission is to address the most pressing threats to wildlife through the creative application of science, technology, and collaborative processes.
Prior to joining RESOLVE, Andy completed his Master's degree at Yale University, where he studied the policy processes of large carnivore reintroductions in South Africa.
Nate Ogle - Program Associate
Facilitator & Mediator | Collaborative Process Design Specialist | Climate Finance Engagement | Strategic Planning
Nate Ogle is a program associate at RESOLVE, focusing on climate finance engagement, collaboration, and strategic planning. His background includes conflict resolution and education, and he has over five years of experience in the education and environmental sectors. Nate is passionate about intercultural dialogue and environmental sustainability and combines his expertise to empower communities and address global challenges. Nate holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution from George Mason University. He has taught English as a second language in Spain and special education in Washington, D.C.
Kevin Scott - President, RESOLVE Canada
Conservation | Policy | Advocacy | Fundraising
Kevin M. Scott, President of RESOLVE Canada, has over twenty-five years of experience implementing strategic plans for organizations, including start-ups and political campaigns. His background includes founding and leading organizations focused on youth leadership, privacy, conservation, and international strategy. Additionally, Kevin has raised over $40 million for global charities, forged partnerships with Fortune 500 companies like Disney and Goldman Sachs, and developed policies in areas such as privacy law, land use, and climate change.
For More Information, please reach out to Carly Vynne, Program Director (cvynne@resolve.ngo), or Nate Ogle, Program Associate (nogle@resolve.ngo).
Below is a list of peer-reviewed articles and reports published since 2014 that were co-authored by members of the Conservation Solutions program team.
Rastogi, S., et al. (2024). Promoting Human-Elephant Coexistence through Integration of AI, Real-Time Alerts, and Rapid Response. Preprints. doi: 10.20944/preprints202406.2065.v2 https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202406.2065/v2
Dinerstein E, Lee A.T.L., and Joshi A.R. (2024). Protecting Earth’s Irreplaceable Species—The Time is Now!. Frontiers for Young Minds. doi: 10.3389/frym.2024.1419646 https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2024.1419646/full
Dinerstein, E. et al. (2024). Conservation Imperatives: securing the last unprotected terrestrial sites harboring irreplaceable biodiversity. Frontiers in Science 2. doi: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1349350 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/science/articles/10.3389/fsci.2024.1349350/full
Hahn, N.R. et al. (2024). Crop use structures resource selection strategies for African elephants in a human-dominated landscape. Ecology and Evolution, 14 (6). doi: 10.1002/ece3.11574 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.11574
Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (2023). MRRIC Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll7/id/25437
Shirk, A.J. et al. (2023). Automated habitat monitoring systems linked to adaptive management: a new paradigm for species conservation in an era of rapid environmental change. Landscape Ecology, 38, pp. 7–22. doi: 10.1007/s10980-022-01457-1 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10980-022-01457-1
Gao, Y., et al. (2023). Contextualizing sociodemographic differences in Tibetan attitudes toward large carnivores. Conservation Science and Practice, 5(12). doi: 10.1111/csp2.13049 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.13049
Dertien, J.S. et al. (2023). Mitigating human–wildlife conflict and monitoring endangered tigers using a real-time camera-based alert system. BioScience, 73(10) pp. 748–757, doi: 10.1093/biosci/biad076 https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/73/10/748/7261057
Gao, Y. et al. (2023). Large carnivore encounters through the lens of mobile videos on social media. Conservation Science and Practice, 5(3). doi: 10.1111/csp2.12907 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.12907
Gaines, W. Hessburg, P.F….Vynne, C. (2022). Climate change and forest management on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest, USA: Managing for dynamic landscapes. Forest Ecology and Management. 504:119794. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119794 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112721008859
Hahn, N.R., Bombaci, S.P., & Wittemyer, G. (2022). Identifying conservation technology needs, barriers, and opportunities. Scientific Reports, 12, Article 4802. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-08330-w https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-08330-w
Ripple, W.J et al. (2022). Rewilding the American West. BioScience, 72(10) pp. 931–935, doi: 10.1093/biosci/biac069 https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/72/10/931/6651305
Vynne, C., et al. (2022). An ecoregion-based approach to restoring the world's intact large mammal assemblages. Ecography, 1(4). doi: 10.1111/ecog.06098 https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ecog.06098
Vynne, C., Dovichin, E., Fresco, N., Dawson, N. et al. 2021. The Importance of Alaska for Climate Stabilization, Resilience, and Biodiversity Conservation. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. doi:10.3389/ffgc.2021.701277 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-change/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.701277/full
Dinerstein E. et al. (2020). A “Global Safety Net” to reverse biodiversity loss and stabilize Earth’s climate. Science Advances, 6(36). doi:10.1126/sciadv.abb2824 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abb2824
King, T.W., Vynne, C., Miller, D., Fisher, S., Fitkin, S. et al. (2020). The Influence of spatial and temporal scale on the relative importance of biotic vs. abiotic factors for species distributions. Diversity and Distributions, 27: 327–343. doi: 10.1111/ddi.13182 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddi.13182
King, T.W., Vynne, C., Miller, D., Fisher, S., Fitkins, S., et al. (2020). Will lynx lose their edge? Canada lynx occupancy in Washington. Journal of Wildlife Management: 84, 705-725. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.21846 https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jwmg.21846
Waldron, A., et al. (2020). Protecting 30% of the planet for nature: costs, benefits and economic implications. Campaign for Nature. https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/eprint/16560/
Dinerstein E. et al. (2019). A Global Deal For Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets. Science Advances, 5(4). doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw2869 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aaw2869
Palminteri, S., Dinerstein, E., Pintea, L., Joshi, A., Fernando, S., Dwinurcahya, A., Wich, S., Stadler, C. (2018). Deforestation Along Roads: Monitoring Threats to Ape Habitat. State of the Apes: Infrastructure Development and Ape Conservation, eds. Rainer, H., White, A. and Lanjouw, A. Cambridge University Press.https://www.stateoftheapes.com/volume-3-infrastructure-development/volume-3-chapter-3-deforestation-along-roads-monitoring-threats-to-ape-habitat/
Palminteri, S., Dinerstein, E., Pintea, L., Joshi, A., Fernando, S., Hansen, M., Davis, C. (2018). Mapping change in ape habitats: Current status, patterns of loss, and future risk. State of the Apes: Infrastructure Development and Ape Conservation, eds. Rainer, H., White, A. and Lanjouw, A. Cambridge University Press. https://www.stateoftheapes.com/volume-3-infrastructure-development/volume-3-chapter-7-mapping-change-in-ape-habitats-forest-status-loss-protection-and-future-risk/
Dinerstein E., et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm. Bioscience, 67(6): 534-545. doi: 10.10932017/biosci/bix014. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5451287/
Hahn, N., et al. (2017). Unmanned aerial vehicles mitigate human–elephant conflict on the borders of Tanzanian Parks: a case study. Oryx, 51(3), 513-516. doi:10.1017/S0030605316000946 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/unmanned-aerial-vehicles-mitigate-humanelephant-conflict-on-the-borders-of-tanzanian-parks-a-case-study/3BFA919F001CC117888833DE8448FEC4
Chang'a, A., et al. (2016). Scaling-up the use of chili fences for reducing human-elephant conflict across landscapes in Tanzania. Tropical Conservation Science, 9(2), 921-930. doi: 10.1177/194008291600900220 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/194008291600900220
Fernando, S., Evaluation of Alternative Strategies to Prevent Leopard Predation on Livestock around Yala National Park, Sri Lanka (2016). Sustainability and Social Justice. 65. https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/65
Joshi, A. R., et al. (2016). Tracking changes and preventing loss in critical tiger habitat. Science Advances, 2(4).. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1501675 https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.1501675
González, S., Cosse, M., del Rosario Franco, M., Emmons, L., Vynne, C., et al. (2015). Population Structure of mtDNA Variation due to Pleistocene Fluctuations in the South American Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger, 1815): Management Units for Conservation. Journal of Heredity 106:459-468. doi: 10.1093/jhered/esv043 https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/106/S1/459/2961835
Lamoreux, J., Chatwin, A., Foster, M., Kakoyannis, C., Vynne, C., et al. (2014). Overcoming the Funder’s Dilemma. Biological Conservation 175:74-81. Doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2014.04.017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320714001682
Vynne, C., Booth, R.K., and Wasser, S.K. (2014). Physiological implications of landscape use by free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in Brazil. Journal of Mammalogy 95:696-706. doi: 10.1644/12-MAMM-A-247 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265160760_Physiological_implications_of_landscape_use_by_free-ranging_maned_wolves_Chrysocyon_brachyurus_in_Brazil
At RESOLVE, we’re here to tackle the toughest global challenges. The ones nobody else wants to touch. Where people are in conflict and planet problems are stuck. We’re here to unstick them. It’s not easy. It takes grit and ingenuity. And finding and working with the right partners. But we’re not called RESOLVE for nothing.
