Meet Defenders: Jane Davenport is the right attorney to defend right whales and more

When the federal government takes actions that affect the survival of animals in their own habitat, heroes like Jane Davenport show up to defend wildlife and their homes.

As senior attorney, Jane has helped deliver incredible legal victories that benefit imperiled animals – in particular, challenging agency failures to protect endangered right whales from avoidable threats like fishing gear entanglements and vessel strikes.

We asked Jane to tell us how she came to be a highly effective attorney representing the interests of wildlife, and she shared her thoughts on how each of us can make progress toward protecting the world around us.

Introduction:

“I’m Jane Davenport, a senior attorney in Defenders of Wildlife’s Biodiversity Law Center. My work runs the gamut from policy and legal advocacy to legislative analysis to litigation. I’ve been a Defender for thirteen years in June!”

 

How did you get your start in conservation?

“During college and graduate school (before law school), I took biology and conservation sociology classes. I also studied Japanese through full-time language immersion programs for two years, including one in Yokohama, Japan. I spent a year working for a member of the Upper House of the Japanese Diet (Japan’s national legislature). She was very active in conservation within Japan and internationally.

I decided to return to the U.S. to enroll in a joint degree program in law and conservation biology. When I took a wildlife law seminar course my first year, that was it – I knew where my career was headed.”

 

What would you describe as a highlight of your work so far?

“Winning landmark cases challenging NOAA Fisheries’ failure to protect the North Atlantic right whale from fishing gear entanglements and fighting to protect the species from vessel strikes. We know the right whale can recover if we just get out of its way! This year has been a banner year for calving with 23 calves already – the highest number in 17 years.”

 

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

“Effective conservation advocacy is about communication and persuasion. Strong writing and public speaking skills will serve you well no matter what path you pursue.”

 

What's one wildlife issue you wish people knew more about?

“Conservation begins at home, and individual actions add up to huge progress. I’m a big fan of entomologist and ecologist Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope. He is a co-founder of the Homegrown National Park movement that supports biodiversity where we live, work, and play in our communities.

Our large-scale work at Defenders to protect species and public lands is vital, but so are small-scale actions like planting native plants and battling non-native invasive plants at home and in shared public spaces to support native wildlife.”

North Atlantic Right Whale surfacing © Moira Brown/wikiCommons

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