The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

James Robertson

GIS Manager for Colorado

Contact Information

(720) 974-7028
E-mail: jrobertson@tnc.org

Brief Biography

In May of 2001 while trudging across a rocky tundra in Los Dientes de Navaron, a rugged range on a small island in the southern-most tip of Chile, his clothes and pack straps flapping furiously in the wind while his face pointed down to avoid a pelting frozen flurry, Jamie affirmed his dream to become a conservation geographer. A sense of place was as important to him as anything could be. This was no surprise, as his love for the outdoors and exploration were already well established after through-hiking the Appalachian Trail, backpacking in Scotland's highlands and isles, and leading backpacking, caving, whitewater, and biking trips for an adventure camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Later adventures brought him to Tibet's Kham, the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes, Chile's Atacama Desert, Patagonian volcanoes, South African woodlands, and the sharp Northwest Cascade and vast Rocky Mountain ranges of the U.S.

Jamie discovered an interest in human and natural landscapes while at Franklin & Marshall College (Lancaster, PA) and went on to earn a Master's in geography from Appalachian State University (Boone, NC). From there, Jamie pursued his career at the National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center (now called the Smithsonian National Biology Institute) in the mountains of Virginia. His work was wide-reaching—from remote-sensing of Asian elephant and tiger habitats to modeling spread rates of West Nile Virus in birds across North America. His work also included teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote-sensing workshops to conservation practitioners in the U.S. and China.

In 2005, Jamie was hired by The Nature Conservancy to help develop Freshwater and Marine Ecoregions of the World and to perform global analyses for the Conservancy's Habitat Assessment Team. This team's work culminated in the publication of The Atlas of Global Conservation (Hoekstra et al. 2010), a book for audiences from school children to scientists and policymakers.

Jamie made an exciting move to Colorado in 2009 to become GIS Manager for the Conservancy's Colorado chapter. His roles there are many, from providing the Land Protection team with property maps to performing statewide biodiversity analysis. Currently, Jamie is helping develop methods for climate change analysis and adaptation with the Gunnison Climate Working Group and studying the impacts of oil and gas development on various grouse species.

James Robertson

GIS Manager for Colorado

Read James Robertson's Full Biography

Read James Robertson's Full Biography

Read James Robertson's Full Biography