Jessi Kershner

Senior Scientist

Jessi Kershner is a Senior Scientist at EcoAdapt that works at the interface of scientific research on climate and natural resource management decision-making. She has a background in ecology, physiology, and natural resources policy and management. Her education and work experiences have been focused on natural resources management strategies for natural and human influences (including climate change) in terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal and marine ecosystems.

Jessi co-leads EcoAdapt's Awareness to Action program and provides support on the State of Adaptation and CAKE programs. Currently Jessi is leading multiple projects with federal and state natural resource management agencies aimed at helping them to incorporate climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation strategies and actions into management plan revisions. Jessi also serves as the lead of EcoAdapt's Spatial Prioritization of Adaptation projects, which focus on ways to synthesize and translate spatial information - both climate and non-climate - to inform vulnerability assessments and develop targeted adaptation strategies.

Prior to joining EcoAdapt, Jessi worked with the Puget Sound Partnership, NOAA, and the University of Washington to evaluate, rank and select ecological indicators for measuring the success of restoration in Puget Sound. Other work includes writing a book chapter on the impacts of ocean acidification in the Puget Sound-Georgia Basin region, contributing to a marine riparian guidance document for Washington State, assessing the status of coastal water resources for the National Park Service, and translating scientific articles into a more accessible format to bridge the gap between science and the public. More recently she has branched out into the social and cultural dimensions of resource use and management in terrestrial ecosystems. Jessi has an undergraduate degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master’s degree from the University of Washington. Jessi lives in Corvallis, OR and tries to get outside as often as possible. Her hobbies include fly fishing, mountain biking, hiking, reading, and spending time chasing after her daughter and husband.

Organization(s)

EcoAdapt is at the center of climate change adaptation innovation. We provide support, training, and assistance to make conservation and management less vulnerable and more Climate Savvy. Over the past 200 years, great strides have been made in the world of conservation and now all of that is at risk because of climate change. EcoAdapt is working to ensure the success of these past efforts by delivering a framework for climate adaptation.