Nicole DeMello joined The Nature Conservancy in 2008, where she spent the first seven years of her career with the Forests and Climate Team focused on the development of forest carbon projects, shaping emerging forest carbon standards, and management of TNC’s carbon offsets program. In 2015, Nicole transitioned to the Conservation in Partnership with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Team, where her focus is on social-ecological systems, understanding and building the evidence base for socially-oriented conservation strategies, human well-being, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic planning. Nicole holds a BA in Biology from Duke University and Master of Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at University of California Santa Barbara. 

So much of conservation is about people, behavior, human well-being, collective action, equity, and power dynamics - it has always been. But yet, these elements are still not a common part of the conservation narrative, and as a result, not a strong focus in conservation schooling and training. This needs to change. We are trying to shift the paradigm at and through the Nature Conservancy, and I see ConSoSci as a natural compliment and extension to this, with the added benefit of cross-organizational networking, collaboration, and learning.

I love to read, learn new things, travel, hike, and take our trailer on outdoor adventures with my husband and two dogs.