The Guild welcomes Anna Stearns to Southwest Staff

Written by Anna Stearns 

I am excited to join the Guild as a Conservation Manager in the southwest region. I earned my degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University. After graduating I spent a couple of field seasons counting birds for Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (BCR). From there I went on to work for a small environmental consulting firm in northern Wyoming where I conducted wildlife surveys throughout Wyoming and Montana. I then transferred to New Mexico and shortly after took a partner biologist position with BCR in partnership with USDA NRCS in northeast New Mexico. After working in partnership with NRCS I joined the federal workforce and worked as a Soil Conservation Technician with NRCS.  

I come to the Guild from working in the Great Plains for my entire career. Although I will always hold a special place in my heart for the grasslands of North America, I am excited for a change in scenery and to work in different landscapes.  

One thing that holds true regardless of the landscape I am working in is the importance of the work that I do. Humans have made ownership boundaries across the landscape that the natural world doesn’t follow. This is where the importance of partnerships come in; working together regardless of ownership boundaries for the good of a community as a whole – for the lands, for the people that have lived and worked the lands for generations, and for the wildlife that have shared that same land throughout time.  

In my role at the Guild, I will be leading a three-year initiative designed to increase awareness and participation in conservation programs available for private landowners. I will be working on promoting awareness specifically to underserved rural communities in northern New Mexico and working to strengthen the capacity of these communities and local organizations to adopt and promote natural resource conservation practices on the ground. 

I am delighted to be working for a nonprofit that cares deeply about the impact they make on the world and the employees that make up their organization. I look forward to making a difference in the lives of rural communities across northern New Mexico as well as enriching my own life working for an organization that values their employees and appreciates the experiences and perspectives they bring to the table.