Rodd Kelsey is the California Land Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. He leads California’s efforts to create a larger, connected and resilient network of protected lands optimally managed for biodiversity and ecosystem function. Rodd and his team are focused on both protection of lands and waters and leveraging TNC’s Preserves as learning laboratories that advance cost-effective solutions to ecosystem management, restoration and rewilding. Prior to this role, Rodd has served as both lead scientist and strategy lead for California’s land and water programs and also worked in both the public and private sector as a natural resources manager.
He has published more than 40 papers on aspects of land conservation, wildlife-friendly agriculture, and migratory birds, and was an editor of the book Rewildling Agricultural Landscapes: A California Case-study, published in 2020, authoring three of the chapters. Rodd received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in ecology and animal behavior.
Welcome, Rodd!