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Sarah Whipple, PhD

Sarah Whipple is a biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center, whose interests lie in conservation, policy, and community ecology, as well as natural resource management and pollinator biology.

Sarah is interested in how we can manage landscapes amongst the world's most pressing challenges, including biodiversity loss, invasive species encroachment, and climate change. She is motivated in finding nature-based, research-oriented solutions that are tangible for land managers to implement. Sarah joined the USGS in 2023 and is currently working in the Carter research group on the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC) Structured Science Syntheses project. This effort will better inform how land managers integrate climate change into the resource management decision-making process. She is also contributing to science plans for the Bureau of Land Management's National Landscape Conservation System, which are used to prioritize science needs and manage resources effectively.
 

Professional Experience

  • Biologist (current), USGS, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 

  • Pollinator Project Manager, Inventory and Monitoring Division (2021-2023), Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO 

  • Research Assistant, Pollinator biology, natural resource management, and international environmental science and sustainability policy (2019-2023), Colorado State University Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Fort Collins, CO 

  • Teaching Assistant, Biology, natural resource management, and international environmental science and sustainability policy (2018-2021), Colorado State University Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Fort Collins, CO 

  • Faculty, Pollinator biology (2018-2022), Rocky Mountain Sustainability and Science Network, Fort Collins, CO and Jackson, WY 

  • Student Research Assistant, Pollinator biology, aquatic invertebrate ecology, and women in STEM DEI initiatives (2015-2017), Colorado State University Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Fort Collins, CO 

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. in Ecology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, 2023 

  • B.S. in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, Colorado State University, 2018

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • Present: Ecological Society of America 

  • Present: Native Bee Research Collaboration Network 

  • Present: Lepidopterist's Society 

Honors and Awards

  • Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Finalist, 2024

Science and Products

Non-USGS Publications**

Whipple, S., & Bowser, G. (2023). The buzz around biodiversity decline: Detecting pollinator shifts using a systematic review. iScience.
Whipple, S. E. (2023). Where Have All the Pollinators Gone? An Analysis of the Shifts in Climate and Phenology that Have Altered Pollinator Diversity in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Doctoral dissertation, Colorado State University).
Halliwell, P., Whipple, S., & Bowser, G. (2022). Learning to love protected areas: Citizen science projects inspire place attachment for diverse students in United States National Parks. Journal of Geoscience Education, 70(3), 412-420.
Whipple, S., Rohlf, A., Vasquez, C. D., Dominguez, D., Bowser, G., & Halliwell, P. (2022). Combining virtual and in-place field crews to model pollinator species shift in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ecological Informatics, 68, 101566.
Halliwell, P., Bowser, G., Whipple, S., Smith, A. B., DeMirjyn, M., & Moss, S. (2022). The power and potential of citizen science for park bonding, advocacy, and stewardship. In Parks Stewardship Forum (Vol. 38, No. 3).
Whipple, S., Bowser, G., Harvey, R., & Roberts, N. S. (2021). The field experience as a potential barrier to underrepresented minority student participation in ecological sciences. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 102(4), 1-11.
Whipple, S. (2021). Engaging Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Scholarship and practice of undergraduate research, 5(1).
Dyball, R., Bowser, G., Whipple, S., Sharma, A., & Leggett, Z. (2021). Collaborations and Moving Past COVID-19: The Human Ecology and Applied Ecology Sections.
Halliwell, P., Whipple, S., Hassel, K. N., Bowser, G., Husic, D. W., & Brown, M. A. (2020). Twenty‐first‐century climate education: Developing diverse, confident, and competent leaders in environmental sustainability. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 101(2), e01664.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

link
a rancher leads a horse and dozens of sheep through grassland, mountains in background

Developing science syntheses to facilitate climate-informed land management decisions and NEPA analyses on rangelands in the sagebrush biome

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal public land managers to assess potential environmental impacts of proposed actions. The USGS, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado State University, and North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center are working together to develop science syntheses that can facilitate considerations of climate change in...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing science syntheses to facilitate climate-informed land management decisions and NEPA analyses on rangelands in the sagebrush biome

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal public land managers to assess potential environmental impacts of proposed actions. The USGS, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado State University, and North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center are working together to develop science syntheses that can facilitate considerations of climate change in...
Learn More
link
Townsendia gypsophila

Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
Learn More
link
Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona, for Mild Temperatures and Winter Photography

Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System seeks to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes. Science is a critical piece of this effort. The US Geological Survey is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop Science Plans to help prioritize and support science efforts to better understand and manage resources in these landscapes.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System seeks to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes. Science is a critical piece of this effort. The US Geological Survey is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop Science Plans to help prioritize and support science efforts to better understand and manage resources in these landscapes.
Learn More
link
a sagebrush landscape with Phlox sp. growing on intact biological soil crusts

Short Science Syntheses and NEPA Analyses for Climate-Informed Land Management Decisions in Sagebrush Rangelands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the largest area of public lands in the United States. Decision-making on BLM lands is complex because managers have to balance diverse, sometimes conflicting, resources, uses, and values. Land managers are more likely to achieve long-term land management goals and balance multiple desired uses and values across public landscapes when their decisions are
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

Short Science Syntheses and NEPA Analyses for Climate-Informed Land Management Decisions in Sagebrush Rangelands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the largest area of public lands in the United States. Decision-making on BLM lands is complex because managers have to balance diverse, sometimes conflicting, resources, uses, and values. Land managers are more likely to achieve long-term land management goals and balance multiple desired uses and values across public landscapes when their decisions are
Learn More
link
Ear Mountain in the background, with herds of elk in the foreground. The sun is setting, casting an orange and blue glow over the whole scene.

Developing structured science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decision making in the Bureau of Land Management

Science information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. However, agencies often have limited time to compile and synthesize existing science. We are working with land management agencies to develop a new type of science product—structured science syntheses—for facilitating use of the science information in public lands decisions.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing structured science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decision making in the Bureau of Land Management

Science information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. However, agencies often have limited time to compile and synthesize existing science. We are working with land management agencies to develop a new type of science product—structured science syntheses—for facilitating use of the science information in public lands decisions.
Learn More
FORT researchers share expertise at the 2024 Rocky Mountain Region Science Exchange

FORT researchers share expertise at the 2024 Rocky Mountain Region Science Exchange

This workshop brings together USGS researchers from different centers in the Rocky Mountain Region from April 9–11 in Denver, Colorado. Talks will...

Read Article

Science and Products

Non-USGS Publications**

Whipple, S., & Bowser, G. (2023). The buzz around biodiversity decline: Detecting pollinator shifts using a systematic review. iScience.
Whipple, S. E. (2023). Where Have All the Pollinators Gone? An Analysis of the Shifts in Climate and Phenology that Have Altered Pollinator Diversity in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Doctoral dissertation, Colorado State University).
Halliwell, P., Whipple, S., & Bowser, G. (2022). Learning to love protected areas: Citizen science projects inspire place attachment for diverse students in United States National Parks. Journal of Geoscience Education, 70(3), 412-420.
Whipple, S., Rohlf, A., Vasquez, C. D., Dominguez, D., Bowser, G., & Halliwell, P. (2022). Combining virtual and in-place field crews to model pollinator species shift in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ecological Informatics, 68, 101566.
Halliwell, P., Bowser, G., Whipple, S., Smith, A. B., DeMirjyn, M., & Moss, S. (2022). The power and potential of citizen science for park bonding, advocacy, and stewardship. In Parks Stewardship Forum (Vol. 38, No. 3).
Whipple, S., Bowser, G., Harvey, R., & Roberts, N. S. (2021). The field experience as a potential barrier to underrepresented minority student participation in ecological sciences. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 102(4), 1-11.
Whipple, S. (2021). Engaging Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Scholarship and practice of undergraduate research, 5(1).
Dyball, R., Bowser, G., Whipple, S., Sharma, A., & Leggett, Z. (2021). Collaborations and Moving Past COVID-19: The Human Ecology and Applied Ecology Sections.
Halliwell, P., Whipple, S., Hassel, K. N., Bowser, G., Husic, D. W., & Brown, M. A. (2020). Twenty‐first‐century climate education: Developing diverse, confident, and competent leaders in environmental sustainability. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 101(2), e01664.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

link
a rancher leads a horse and dozens of sheep through grassland, mountains in background

Developing science syntheses to facilitate climate-informed land management decisions and NEPA analyses on rangelands in the sagebrush biome

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal public land managers to assess potential environmental impacts of proposed actions. The USGS, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado State University, and North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center are working together to develop science syntheses that can facilitate considerations of climate change in...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing science syntheses to facilitate climate-informed land management decisions and NEPA analyses on rangelands in the sagebrush biome

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal public land managers to assess potential environmental impacts of proposed actions. The USGS, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado State University, and North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center are working together to develop science syntheses that can facilitate considerations of climate change in...
Learn More
link
Townsendia gypsophila

Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands

Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.
Learn More
link
Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona, for Mild Temperatures and Winter Photography

Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System seeks to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes. Science is a critical piece of this effort. The US Geological Survey is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop Science Plans to help prioritize and support science efforts to better understand and manage resources in these landscapes.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System seeks to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes. Science is a critical piece of this effort. The US Geological Survey is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop Science Plans to help prioritize and support science efforts to better understand and manage resources in these landscapes.
Learn More
link
a sagebrush landscape with Phlox sp. growing on intact biological soil crusts

Short Science Syntheses and NEPA Analyses for Climate-Informed Land Management Decisions in Sagebrush Rangelands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the largest area of public lands in the United States. Decision-making on BLM lands is complex because managers have to balance diverse, sometimes conflicting, resources, uses, and values. Land managers are more likely to achieve long-term land management goals and balance multiple desired uses and values across public landscapes when their decisions are
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

Short Science Syntheses and NEPA Analyses for Climate-Informed Land Management Decisions in Sagebrush Rangelands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the largest area of public lands in the United States. Decision-making on BLM lands is complex because managers have to balance diverse, sometimes conflicting, resources, uses, and values. Land managers are more likely to achieve long-term land management goals and balance multiple desired uses and values across public landscapes when their decisions are
Learn More
link
Ear Mountain in the background, with herds of elk in the foreground. The sun is setting, casting an orange and blue glow over the whole scene.

Developing structured science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decision making in the Bureau of Land Management

Science information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. However, agencies often have limited time to compile and synthesize existing science. We are working with land management agencies to develop a new type of science product—structured science syntheses—for facilitating use of the science information in public lands decisions.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Developing structured science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decision making in the Bureau of Land Management

Science information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. However, agencies often have limited time to compile and synthesize existing science. We are working with land management agencies to develop a new type of science product—structured science syntheses—for facilitating use of the science information in public lands decisions.
Learn More
FORT researchers share expertise at the 2024 Rocky Mountain Region Science Exchange

FORT researchers share expertise at the 2024 Rocky Mountain Region Science Exchange

This workshop brings together USGS researchers from different centers in the Rocky Mountain Region from April 9–11 in Denver, Colorado. Talks will...

Read Article

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government