Rebekah Myers
Stewardship Manager, Islands and Southeastern Massachusetts
Massachusetts
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Areas of Expertise
Biodiversity, Land Management, Socio-Ecological Systems, Sandplain Grasslands, Nature Conservation
Biography
Rebekah Myers is the Stewardship Manager for the Nature Conservancy on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and in Southeastern Massachusetts. She protects globally rare and imperiled Sandplain grasslands and engages with the community and partners in a holistic approach to conservation that benefits both people and nature.
A jack of all trades, Rebekah’s diverse experience helps her fulfill the multitude of roles as the Stewardship Manager, all while keeping her scientific expertise in play. This ranges from restoration and active management of grasslands with mowing and prescribed fire, invasive species control, rare and native plant cultivation, species monitoring, and developing adaptive management plans. She also works with hunters to bring the deer population to a healthier level; their harvest is then sampled to understand tick-borne diseases. Rebekah has also jumped into reviewing compliance and requests for private landowners whose properties are held in conservation. One of her passions is mobilizing conservation priorities that benefit nature and society by fostering relationships among diverse community members.
Rebekah started with TNC in January 2024, previously having run a forest-raised hog farm and managed her family’s property and guest house, as well as working for the WNY Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management. She earned a B.Sc. in Wildlife Science from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an M.Sc. in Integrated Natural Resource Management from Humboldt University of Berlin. Rebekah was fortunate to be involved in field research across four continents.
Her international field experience began in Queensland, Australia, with her bachelor’s research on restoration ecology. Between her degrees, she followed wild chimpanzees in Côte d’Ivoire, recording behavioral data for the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. This led her to Germany, where she conducted research on aquatic community ecology with the Free University of Berlin while transitioning into a master’s program. During her studies, she became attuned to the importance of involving local and indigenous communities in the conservation and management of natural resources, particularly in underdeveloped countries. Her thesis focused on the influence of commercial logging on the livelihoods of indigenous pygmies and their voice in forest management and governance. On Martha’s Vineyard, she continues to develop relationships with various community groups, including the indigenous Wampanoag, in an effort to activate their voices for a collaborative approach to conservation.
Outside of work, Rebekah enjoys dog walks, side projects, dinners with friends and spending time with her family.
Land Conservation
Restoring Imperiled Grasslands on Martha's Vineyard
The Island is one of the last remaining strongholds of sandplain grasslands. TNC and partners are bringing back habitats and species once more common on the Island.
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A Remarkable Restoration of the Stebbins Wildlife Refuge
TNC and partners save and restore the original floodplain forest ecosystem at Fannie Stebbins Memorial Wildlife Refuge along the Connecticut River in Massachusetts.
Connecting Lands for Climate Resilience
TNC data shows which landscapes will support plants and animals as the climate changes. We're working to protect them.