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
Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands
Developing structured science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decision making in the Bureau of Land Management
Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System
Developing science syntheses to facilitate climate-informed land management decisions and NEPA analyses on rangelands in the sagebrush biome
Short Science Syntheses and NEPA Analyses for Climate-Informed Land Management Decisions in Sagebrush Rangelands
Structured science syntheses to inform decision making on Federal public lands
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands
Developing structured science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decision making in the Bureau of Land Management
Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System
Developing science syntheses to facilitate climate-informed land management decisions and NEPA analyses on rangelands in the sagebrush biome
Short Science Syntheses and NEPA Analyses for Climate-Informed Land Management Decisions in Sagebrush Rangelands
Structured science syntheses to inform decision making on Federal public lands
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
*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