Elisabeth works at the forefront of Arctic conservation, mitigating threats to the wildlife of coastal Alaska. As WWF’s Manager - Arctic Wildlife, she spends much of her time exploring social-ecological systems in the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas. Elisabeth leads WWF’s efforts to help polar bears and other Arctic marine mammals co-exist alongside people in what’s becoming an increasingly warmer and ice-free Arctic. Her advocacy work for science-based conservation - informed by Indigenous Knowledge and supporting Arctic food security - allows her to collaborate with federal policymakers and remote Alaskan communities. Most of that work centers on international treaties, management, and conservation plans that are vital to maintain some of the last remaining intact ecosystems in the United States.

Prior to joining WWF, Elisabeth traveled to Russia as a Fulbright scholar, landing in Irkutsk, where she spent the next four years immersed in the culture, ecology, and natural beauty of Siberia. Enamored with life at the edge of civilization, Elisabeth moved from Siberia to Alaska and began her work with WWF.

In her work with WWF, Elisabeth strives to increase knowledge and understanding of wildlife populations in Alaska and around the Arctic, provide access to tools for continuing coexistence of wildlife in the Arctic and the people who depend on wildlife resources, and enable sustainable populations of wildlife to thrive as the Arctic changes. From working with polar bear patrols in remote Arctic villages to drafting federal conservation strategy as a member of the Polar Bear Recovery Team, Elisabeth brings her passion for wildlife conservation to her job every day.

Elisabeth also enjoys photography, so you’re more likely to see her behind the lens than in front of it!