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Protecting habitats is essential to the preservation of species, and as such, conservationists stress the importance of not only maintaining, but expanding, what are known as protected areas. However, at the same time, there is an increasing demand for food production. As cropland is responsible for widespread habitat loss, this presents an increasingly urgent issue, especially in areas with both high biodiversity and high food insecurity. To address this problem, Dr. Varsha Vijay, who is a former SESYNC postdoctoral fellow, and her colleagues published a paper in the journal: The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, entitled: “Pervasive cropland in protected areas highlight trade-offs between conservation and food security.”
Check out the full audio interview where we discuss their findings and how they envision this new information can be used to help ensure the long-term efficacy of protected areas in meeting both ecological and socio-economic goals of conservation.
For a full transcript of this interview, click the PDF below.
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Audio Interview Transcript_Protected Areas.pdf
(105.48 KB)
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About the Presenters
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Varsha Vijay
Postdoctoral FellowDr. Varsha Vijay is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist. She is currently the Technical Director for the Science Based Targets Network, a major multi-organization science-based ecosystem targets initiative. In this role, she leads research on approaches for measuring and evaluating global nature-based sustainability targets for companies and civil entities.
Prior to this leadership role, Varsha was a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), University of Tennessee, while holding a joint appointment as a Solutions...
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Varsha Vijay
Postdoctoral FellowDr. Varsha Vijay is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist. She is currently the Technical Director for the Science Based Targets Network, a major multi-organization science-based ecosystem targets initiative. In this role, she leads research on approaches for measuring and evaluating global nature-based sustainability targets for companies and civil entities.
Prior to this leadership role, Varsha was a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), University of Tennessee, while holding a joint appointment as a Solutions Engineer at terraPulse, a remote sensing startup. She was also a part of the BIPOC-led consulting organization, Kedge Consulting, working directly with environmental organizations to inform conservation approaches that center on human rights and environmental justice. Before joining SESYNC in 2018 as a postdoctoral fellow, Varsha completed both her BS and PhD in Environmental Sciences at Duke University.
Varsha investigates global biodiversity and anthropogenic land use using a socio-ecological systems perspective to inform more effective and equitable conservation outcomes. Her work focuses on interrelated research areas that address three primary questions: 1) What are the impacts of human activities on biodiversity and conservation efforts? 2) Can we identify emerging threats to biodiversity and predict where they will occur? 3) How do stakeholder values and interests impact investments and support for conservation? Varsha fuses quantitative approaches from landscape ecology, remote sensing, data science, and mathematical modeling with qualitative analysis and community-based, participatory research approaches. This research has produced actionable insights that have been used in strategic planning by the Pew Charitable Trusts, International Union for Conservation of Nature, European Commission, World Bank, and Oxfam. Her work has been covered by the BBC, National Geographic, and Mongabay, among others. Varsha also teaches and mentors through programs that reduce barriers to access for underrepresented identities in STEM.
External Links:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=UreDmQIAAAAJ
https://www.varshavijay.com/Image
Erin Duffy
Faculty SpecialistErin Duffy is a Communications Associate at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). In this role, she supports the communications team in designing and developing communication products that disseminate the vast knowledge created by SESYNC researchers worldwide. Inspired by the Center’s diverse and interesting projects and participants, Erin developed a podcast, Succinct Science—Audio Interviews from SESYNC, to help integrate intellectually expansive information into everyday life.
Passionate about community, individual, and environmental health and well-being, Erin has...
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Erin Duffy
Faculty SpecialistErin Duffy is a Communications Associate at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). In this role, she supports the communications team in designing and developing communication products that disseminate the vast knowledge created by SESYNC researchers worldwide. Inspired by the Center’s diverse and interesting projects and participants, Erin developed a podcast, Succinct Science—Audio Interviews from SESYNC, to help integrate intellectually expansive information into everyday life.
Passionate about community, individual, and environmental health and well-being, Erin has worked in a variety of roles, including environmental educator; marketing associate for a social service organization, and community garden coordinator for a food bank, both through AmeriCorps; as well as a caregiver for adults with differing physical and intellectual abilities.
Erin earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy and Science, and she has continued to pursue educational opportunities, most recently by becoming a certified yoga instructor and positive psychology practitioner.
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