Women in Conservation Meet a few of the incredible women in Pennsylvania and Delaware who are working with TNC to create a better and more sustainable natural world for future generations. © Lynnya/Shutterstock
Women play an essential and transformative role in conservation across Pennsylvania and Delaware, driving scientific research, advancing environmental policy, stewarding protected lands, and expanding biodiversity efforts. Their leadership is reshaping how we protect nature, strengthen communities, and build a sustainable future for the next generation.
From the coasts of Delaware to the Appalachian forests of Pennsylvania, these women work with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to increase biodiversity, analyze ecological data, restore habitats, and elevate local voices in conservation. Their stories highlight the power of representation, collaboration, and science‑based action in preserving our region’s natural resources.
Meet Women Leading Conservation Across Pennsylvania & Delaware
Michelle Giles
Pennsylvania Federal Policy Manager
From a childhood spent visiting zoos with her dad to a career at the intersection of science and policy, Michelle Giles has always been driven to protect what she loves. After starting out in a conservation genetics lab, she moved into policy, where she sees one of the most powerful levers for change. As TNC’s CEO, Jen Morris says, “Policy is our biggest pathway to transformational change.” For Michelle, that means shaping solutions that create funding, protect nature and people, and ensure everyone has a seat at the table.
Her work illustrates how policy can accelerate on‑the‑ground conservation. Michelle organized a site visit with Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey to showcase TNC’s Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP), which enables smaller landowners to participate in carbon markets. Following that visit, Senator Casey introduced the Rural Forest Markets Act, a similar approach scaled for broader impact. Moments like these affirm Michelle’s belief that sound policy turns conservation goals into durable outcomes.
Quote: Michelle Giles
Many people of color, especially women of color, become involved in this field because it’s a necessity for them. I am so grateful to these people who continue to inspire me to fight the good fight within my role.
Michelle’s purpose is fueled by the women who paved the way, especially those who fight for environmental justice. She shares:
“There are so many women who inspire me, but one who stands out is Hazel Johnson. Hazel was an environmental activist in the South Side of Chicago and is known as the mother of environmental justice. Her story is so moving to me because it’s the story of a woman standing up against a powerful entity and fighting against injustices her community was facing, which is an extremely difficult and brave thing for a black woman to do. Many people of color, especially women of color, become involved in this field because it’s a necessity for them. I am so grateful to these people who continue to inspire me to fight the good fight within my role.”
For Michelle, policy and justice are inseparable, and both are essential to a thriving future for people and nature.
Government Relations & Policy in Pennsylvania
Policy shapes what’s possible for nature. Learn how TNC is advancing funding, protections, and equitable solutions that benefit both people and the planet.
See How Policy Creates Change
Natasha Whetzel
Delaware Stewardship Program Manager & PA/DE Fire Manager
Natasha Whetzel grew up amid the longleaf pine savannas of the Southeast—hiking, kayaking and watching fire‑adapted landscapes change with the seasons. That lifelong connection to the outdoors anchors her work today. As Delaware’s stewardship program manager, she oversees TNC preserves across the state, leading management, restoration, monitoring and fire operations that boost biodiversity and resilience while protecting rare and endangered species.
Her path began as a TNC intern in North Carolina, and one of her proudest achievements is building Delaware’s fire management program. What started with just Natasha in 2016 has grown into a full‑time seasonal crew that helps safely apply prescribed fire across DE, PA, and MD, nearly 2,000 acres a year. The results are tangible: healthier habitats, stronger ecosystems and more resilient landscapes.
Natasha draws inspiration from conservation icon Rachel Carson and the recovery stories her advocacy helped make possible. And she knows the work ahead demands many perspectives: "If you’re looking for a very rewarding career, I would recommend the conservation field. Now more than ever, the field needs people from all backgrounds, cultures, genders and all walks of life. In order to make concrete impacts in combating the climate crisis, all voices need to be heard.”
The Power of Fire
Prescribed fire improves habitat and keeps forests healthy. See how our team puts good fire to work for nature and communities.
See How Good Fire Works
Lori Brennan
Executive Director for TNC PA/DE
For Lori Brennan, leadership is about unlocking collective potential. As executive director for TNC PA/DE, she guides a team of 50+ scientists and professionals across conservation, fundraising, marketing, finance and operations—aligning local work with TNC’s ambitious 2030 goals. Her own love of nature is grounded in place: hiking the Poconos, kayaking in southern Delaware and exploring new outdoor spaces wherever she travels.
Lori is continually energized by the talent and commitment of her colleagues:
“I am amazed every day by just how smart, dedicated and passionate my colleagues are. No matter their function or team, they all play a critical role in advancing our important mission. There is room for all in this field, and I encourage everyone to try new things until they find what speaks to them. The climate crisis does not have time to wait, and we can all make a difference.”
She credits her mother, Patti, with instilling the values that guide her leadership, recycling and waste reduction at home, the courage to speak up, and the conviction that individual voices, when joined together, can change what’s possible.
Tamara Gagnolet
Conservation Science & GIS Manager
Tamara Gagnolet’s journey began in the Peruvian Amazon studying squirrel monkeys. She soon realized that safeguarding species requires protecting their habitats, and that geospatial science could help do exactly that. Today, Tamara applies Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to conservation across Pennsylvania and Delaware, supporting land protection and management, freshwater, coastal and cities programs.
Her team builds and analyzes spatial datasets that reveal priorities and track progress: mapping habitat and trails, monitoring easements, modeling climate impacts and guiding restoration. Tamara also helps connect practitioners globally, managing TNC’s Global Geospatial Leadership Council and collaborating with 30 representatives to serve a community of ~1,700 GIS users.
Guided by the example of Jane Goodall, Tamara is inspired by science in service of people and nature and by the power of clear, shared maps to turn complex landscapes into actionable conservation.
More About GIS
Discover how Tamara and her team use cutting‑edge geospatial tools to guide conservation decisions, restore habitats and strengthen climate resilience across PA, DE and beyond.
Watch the Webinar
Nicole Wooten
Appalachians Land Protection Manager
For Nicole Wooten, people and place are inseparable. A friend once taught her the Hawaiian concept of mālama ʻāina to care for, respect, and protect the land, an idea that shapes her work every day. She entered conservation to create positive change for the communities and landscapes she loves, recognizing that the “right land, protected the right way and with the right relationships,” advances equity, climate resilience and wildlife connectivity.
Nicole helps TNC acquire lands and waters across the Appalachian region—forests within climate‑resilient corridors like the Kittatinny Ridge and Allegheny Front, and everything from 5‑acre connectors near cities to 1,000‑acre forest cores in remote towns. The goal is a living network that supports people and wildlife alike.
Grateful for mentors (and inspired by visionaries like Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin), Nicole believes imagination is a tool for change: as Adrienne Maree Brown writes, “Science fiction is simply a way to practice the future together.” Protect the future, and we practice hope.
Quote: Nicole Wooten
Everyone is part of nature by breathing air, drinking water and living… It’s all connected.
The Appalachian Forest in Pennsylvania
These forests store carbon, shelter wildlife and sustain communities. Discover the work happening now to keep this iconic landscape thriving.
Learn How We Protect It
Diana Oviedo Vargas
Assistant Research Scientist, Stroud Water Research Center & TNC PA/DE Board Member
Drawn to water from an early age, especially waterfalls, Diana Oviedo Vargas turned that passion into a vocation. As a research scientist at Stroud Water Research Center, she analyzes water quality data to help quantify the value of conserving water resources and the benefits healthy systems provide to communities. A recent project with the National Park Service assesses water quality across regional parks; next, she’ll share findings with managers to inform best practices and highlight the impact of conserved lands.
Diana admired TNC’s science‑driven approach long before joining the PA/DE board. Now, she contributes her expertise and perspective to guide the chapter’s priorities and ensure durable, evidence‑based conservation.
Her deepest gratitude goes to her grandmothers, women who pushed through barriers in 20th‑century Latin America so the next generation could pursue their dreams. Their example continues to shape Diana’s work and life.
Elizabeth Hanson
Land Steward & Fire Technician
Elizabeth Hanson describes land stewardship as a network of caretakers, people who keep trails safe, apply prescribed fire to support biodiversity, and connect communities with nature. Much of her recent work has focused on Hamer Woodlands at Cove Mountain near Harrisburg, where, alongside dedicated volunteers, she helped manage invasive species, putting in 207.5 hours of cutting and treatment and seeing the vegetation rebound.
Fifteen years into a career she never expected, Elizabeth still finds variety and purpose in every season. A defining influence was fire management officer Sami Gray, a pioneer for women in fire. Watching Sami lead with quiet authority inspired Elizabeth to train in prescribed fire and stewardship; years later, partnering with her on a burn felt like the perfect full‑circle moment.
Elizabeth’s goal remains simple and steadfast: protect habitats and help people experience the joy of being outside, for as long as she can.
The Hamer Woodlands at Cove Mountain
From invasive species removal to climate‑resilient forest management, discover the work shaping a healthier, more connected Appalachian landscape.
See Our Impact at Cove Mt
Deborah Dalley Phillips
TNC PA/DE Volunteer
Deborah Dalley Phillips learned to love nature at her father’s side, walking through forests, naming plants and animals, and treating the outdoors with respect. That early spark became decades of service: more than 20 years volunteering with environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy. She even started Walk and Wine Friends, a local hiking group that encourages neighbors to explore nearby trails (and, no, there isn’t wine after every hike).
What Deborah values most about TNC is its reach and reliability. Whether she lived in the desert, the mountains or by the coast, TNC was there connecting her to resources and volunteer opportunities that turn passion into impact.
Sharing that passion is her favorite part:
“I especially enjoy helping people discover their own love for nature, plants and animals and, of course, encouraging them to get outside whenever possible. If I am outside, I am in my happy place.”
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