Olivia LeDee is the Acting Director of the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC), one of the nine regional centers that form the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center Network.
Olivia completed a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2008. Her dissertation addressed the relationship between non–breeding shorebird populations, landscape conversion, and management of listed species in coastal areas.
From 2008-2012, Olivia’s research focused on qualitatively and quantitatively assessing the vulnerability of wildlife to the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. As a Research Associate and Assistant Scientist in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Olivia worked with the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts and was the lead author of the wildlife assessment. During this time, she worked closely with multiple state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to understand the effects of climate change on natural resources and respond with active management.
Olivia previously worked for the State of Minnesota as a Policy and Planning Consultant in the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Her primary responsibility was to provide technical, policy, and decision support on contentious issues and emerging threats, including climate change. She represented the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on both the Department of Interior’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science and the Joint Implementation Working Group of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.
In 2017, she received the Award for Climate Adaptation in the Individual Category from the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership and an Honorable Mention for the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources from the Joint Implementation Working Group of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Science and Products
Technical Assessment of Climate Science Needs in the Midwest
Climate Adaptation Scientists of Tomorrow Program
To advance climate adaptation science and increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM fields, the Climate Adaptation Scientists of Tomorrow Program brings undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty together with CASC partners to cultivate the next generation of climate scientists.
Public Acceptance and Preferences for Climate Change Adaptation in the Midwest
Evaluating Species’ Adaptive Capacity in a Changing Climate: Applications to Natural-Resource Management in the Northwestern U.S.
Development of the Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers
Potential effects of climate change on Appalachian stoneflies (Remenus kirchneri, Acroneuria kosztarabi, and Tallaperla lobata)
Future directions to manage wildlife health in a changing climate
Potential effects of climate change on snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida
Persist in place or shift in space? Evaluating the adaptive capacity of species to climate change
Climate change effects on deer and moose in the midwest
Development of the Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers
Determining climate change management priorities: A case study from Wisconsin
WICCI Wildlife Working Group Report
Envisioning the future of wildlife in a changing climate: Collaborative learning for adaptation planning
Science and Products
- Science
Technical Assessment of Climate Science Needs in the Midwest
In 2020, in partnership with the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC), the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC) completed a four-part process to identify climate science priorities for both the Northeast and Midwest regions. The process included: structured feedback from an advisory committee, the completion of six listening sessions, feedback from project partners,Climate Adaptation Scientists of Tomorrow Program
To advance climate adaptation science and increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM fields, the Climate Adaptation Scientists of Tomorrow Program brings undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty together with CASC partners to cultivate the next generation of climate scientists.
Public Acceptance and Preferences for Climate Change Adaptation in the Midwest
Climate change has the potential to change the kinds and numbers of fish and wildlife that are available for recreationists such as hunters, anglers, and birdwatchers. While we have some knowledge about what changes might look like concerning different fish and wildlife species, very little information is known about how anglers, hunters, and wildlife watchers might view such changes in the areasEvaluating Species’ Adaptive Capacity in a Changing Climate: Applications to Natural-Resource Management in the Northwestern U.S.
Natural resource managers are confronted with the pressing challenge to develop conservation plans that address complex ecological and societal needs against the backdrop of a rapidly changing climate. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) provide valuable information that helps guide management and conservation actions in this regard. An essential component to CCVAs is understanding adDevelopment of the Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers
The Climate Change Response Framework is an example of a collaborative, cross-boundary approach to create a set of tools, partnerships, and actions to support climate-informed conservation and land management. Historically, this effort has focused on the needs of forest managers and forestry professionals. In recent years, however, there has been increasing demand for science and tools to address - Publications
Potential effects of climate change on Appalachian stoneflies (Remenus kirchneri, Acroneuria kosztarabi, and Tallaperla lobata)
Plecoptera (stoneflies) are an order of insects where most species rely on clean, fast-moving freshwater for an aquatic larval stage followed by a short terrestrial adult stage. Most species of Plecoptera seem to be restricted to specific stream types and thermal regimes. Climate-driven changes are likely to alter stream temperatures and flow, resulting in physiological stress, reduced reproductivFuture directions to manage wildlife health in a changing climate
In September 2019 The Economist wrote an obituary to Okjökull, a glacier in western Iceland that was declared “dead” in 2014, a victim of climate change. Although a few wildlife species have already incurred such a fate (e.g., the Bramble Cay melomys [Melomys rubicola]) (Fulton 2017), many more are on the path to climate-driven extinction (Andermann et al. 2020; Ceballos et al. 2015; He et al. 201Potential effects of climate change on snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida
The snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), an endangered, wetland-dependent raptor, is highly sensitive to changes in hydrology. Climate-driven changes in water level will likely affect snail kite populations—altering reproductive success and survival rates. Identifying the mechanisms mediating the direct and indirect effects of climate on snail kite populations and the range of future climaPersist in place or shift in space? Evaluating the adaptive capacity of species to climate change
Assessing the vulnerability of species to climate change serves as the basis for climate‐adaptation planning and climate‐smart conservation, and typically involves an evaluation of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity (AC). AC is a species’ ability to cope with or adjust to changing climatic conditions, and is the least understood and most inconsistently applied of these three factors. WeClimate change effects on deer and moose in the midwest
Climate change is an increasing concern for wildlife managers across the United States and Canada. Because climate change may alter populations and harvest dynamics of key species in the region, midwestern states have identified the effects of climate change on ungulates as a priority research area. We conducted a literature review of projected climate change in the Midwest and the potential effecDevelopment of the Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers
The Climate Change Response Framework is an example of a collaborative, cross-boundary approach to create a set of tools, partnerships, and actions to support climate-informed conservation and land management. Historically, this effort has focused on the needs of forest managers and forestry professionals. In recent years, however, there has been increasing demand for science and tools to addressDetermining climate change management priorities: A case study from Wisconsin
A burgeoning dialogue exists regarding how to allocate resources to maximize the likelihood of long-term biodiversity conservation within the context of climate change. To make effective decisions in natural resource management, an iterative, collaborative, and learning-based decision process may be more successful than a strictly consultative approach. One important, early step in a decision procWICCI Wildlife Working Group Report
Wisconsin is world-renowned for its diversity of ecological landscapes and wildlife populations. The northern forests, southern prairies, and interior and coastal wetlands of the state are home to more than 500 terrestrial animal species. These animals supply the Wisconsin public with aesthetic, cultural, and economic benefits; our identity and economy are intertwined with these natural resourceEnvisioning the future of wildlife in a changing climate: Collaborative learning for adaptation planning
Natural resource managers are tasked with assessing the impacts of climate change on conservation targets and developing adaptation strategies to meet agency goals. The complex, transboundary nature of climate change demands the collaboration of scientists, managers, and stakeholders in this effort. To share, integrate, and apply knowledge from these diverse perspectives, we must engage in social - News