Introduction:

“I’m Ellen Richmond. I’ve been a Senior Attorney at Defenders of Wildlife for three years. I am a litigator, which means I work in the courts to protect wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on. I file lawsuits and write legal briefs explaining how the laws protect wildlife and why those protections are important.

In addition to litigation in the courts, I also advocate before other decisionmakers—such as Members of Congress and agency officials—for stronger, better protections for wildlife and wild lands.”

 

How did you get your start in conservation?

“My interest in conservation grew out of a simple love of nature—which I think is very easy to love. That was especially true for me, growing up in a family that loved the land and all the little wild things. As girls, my sisters and I sang All Things Bright and Beautiful to any dead bird we might find in our yard in Florida or on my grandparents’ land in North Carolina.

As a teenager, I realized that, if you loved trees and wildflowers, as I did, you could learn to recognize friends wherever you went. I went on to study conservation as an undergrad and as a student in law school and graduate school. A job at Sierra Club was my first after law school (aside from a federal clerkship).”

 

What do you consider to be a highlight of your career?

“This past summer I had the opportunity to testify before a Congressional committee to explain the vital importance of the Endangered Species Act, which provides last-resort legal protection to species on the brink of extinction.

Unfortunately, recent years have seen record-setting numbers of attacks on this critical statute. It was in response to one of those attacks that I appeared before the House Committee on Natural Resources (specifically, its subcommittee that works on wildlife) to explain why dismantling the ESA would wreak havoc on cherished American wildlife.”

 

What would you say to someone looking to volunteer or pursue a conservation career?

“Take advantage of every opportunity, even if it isn’t exactly what you envisioned yourself working on! Our careers and our loved ones sometimes take us to unexpected places, but any place you may find yourself likely faces conservation challenges that you can help with.

In my case, I was born and raised on the East Coast, but when I found myself at graduate school in California with my (later-to-be) husband, I poured myself into learning about environmental challenges on Western landscapes. Now I like to say that I love the West with the fervor of a convert, though I’ll always love my native North Carolina too.”

 

Which threat to wildlife do you wish people understood better?

“When I first came to work on wildlife issues, I thought that saving wildlife was just a matter of conserving wild lands. If you save the landscape, I thought, surely that will be enough to save the species that depend on it. It turns out that this is not always right.

The extinction crisis is so severe that many species need much more intervention and assistance if they are to survive and recover—including hands-on programs such as translocations and reintroductions. These programs and the wildlife agencies that carry them out, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its state counterparts, are severely underfunded and need much more help if they are to fulfill their mission of preventing extinction and helping species to recover and thrive.”

Click here to learn more about Ellen and her work at Defenders!

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