Lauren Eckert is a conservation scientist, storyteller and incoming postdoctoral fellow at the
University of British Columbia (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm/Musqueam territory) in the Centre for Indigenous
Fisheries. Lauren’s early research experiences around the globe exposed her to the complexities of
interrelated social and ecological systems and motivated her to delve deeper into conservation science
that recognizes humans’ important role in global ecosystems, engages communities directly in
conservation and supports human well-being and rights alongside ecosystem protection. Her master’s degree in science at the University of Victoria bridged Indigenous knowledge and ecological science through a community- engaged, Indigenous-led approach to conservation in partnership with Central Coast First Nations
Lauren completed her PhD at the University of Victoria, where she studied marine and terrestrial
ecosystems, the intersections of Indigenous and Western sciences, relationships between humans and
wildlife (with a focus on bears) and sought to better understand and transform conflict that stymies
conservation efforts.
Lauren is also an endlessly excitable naturalist. She believes in a world of multi-cultural, multi-species flourishing and hopes to support the ushering in of that world by sharing her knowledge (and awe) of the living world. Lauren is a National Geographic Explorer, dog mom, avid hiker, caver, scuba diver and peanut butter aficionada
