2025 Wild Great Plains keynote: Corina Newsome

"From the Cities to the Grasslands: Conservation as a Tool for Justice" About the talk: Harms exacted against human communities, especially Black, Indigenous, and Brown communities, have had cascading impacts on biodiversity and ecologies across the continent. As we face myriad multifaceted threats to people and wildlife, these very same communities hold the keys to a just, biodiverse, and equitable future where all people—and the diversity of life—can thrive. Newsome, Associate Conservation Scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, is a wildlife biologist dedicated to the integration of environmental justice and conservation science and practice. Newsome earned her bachelor's degree in zoo and wildlife biology from Malone University and, after several years as an animal care professional, went on to earn her master's degree in biology from Georgia Southern University. With a specific passion for avian conservation, Newsome’s research focuses on answering landscape ecology questions that help us better understand how we can help birds thrive in a changing world. Newsome’s fascination with birds extends beyond her research and into the communities where she lives and works, serving as beautiful vehicles through which she connects herself and others to the world around them. ​In addition to her work as a wildlife scientist, Newsome is committed to increasing the representation and visibility of Black science professionals for the next generation of STEM experts, and centering the leadership and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color in wildlife conservation, environmental education, and exploration of the natural world.