Anna R. Carlson

I grew up in rural northeast Ohio and was the fifth generation to live on my family’s farm - playing in the “back 40”, picking rocks out of the hay field, and wondering why one plant was welcome in the garden and another decidedly not. My life has been deeply shaped by the natural world, and so it's truly no wonder that the dynamics and relationships of the ecosystems around me have long captured my curiosity. 

These relationships - causal, correlative, and reciprocal - are the lens through which I explore science. I approach science as a way of understanding how we are all connected to one another and to the landscapes that sustain us. My passion for science is rooted in the desire to better understand and highlight these connections, especially in ways that create opportunities that inspire the careful and intentional stewardship of the natural world. 

I am a fierce advocate for breaking down the dichotomy that sets people as something separate and apart from the natural world. I believe instead that we should highlight not only the impact we have upon it, but also the role we play within it. 

Since 2015, I have conducted research and explored informal education, interpretation, and science communication in a variety of settings: Indiana, Nebraska, New Zealand, Minnesota, Washington, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. My work has largely focused on ecology, conservation, and wildlife with dedicated attention to the dynamics of people interacting with each of these focus areas, and the ways in which they impact each other. Today, I coordinate forest management outreach and education for private landowners in Northeast Ohio as the Working Woods Outreach Coordinator at the Holden Arboretum.