Tara Cornelise, Ph.D. was named Editor of the Natural Areas Association (NAA) Natural Areas Journal effective January 1, 2025.

Tara succeeds Eric Menges, Ph.D., who retired from this position after serving as the lead editor of the Natural Areas Journal for almost a

Eric Menges, Ph.D.

decade. Eric's long-standing relationship with NAA began after he participated in his first Natural Areas Conference in 1985. "NAA will be forever grateful for the contributions that Eric has made to the Natural Areas Journal (NAJ), most notably contributing to its success as editor two times throughout the publication's history and keeping the NAJ on a steady course as NAA turned its attention this past decade to developing more opportunities for knowledge transfer for its members," said Lisa Smith, Executive Director, Natural Areas Association. 

Dr. Tara Cornelisse comes to this position with experience in both academic and nonprofit science.

Tara's work has focused on species conservation, natural resource management, outreach and education, including habitat restoration in coastal prairies, fire management in oak woodlands, recreational impacts in dune ecosystems, grazing in remnant grasslands, pollinator conservation, and endangered species policy. As the Lead Zoologist at NatureServe, Tara works with network partners in the US and Canada to advance biodiversity knowledge to inform conservation actions. Tara earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz. She also holds a BA in Biology from Boston University and a MS in Conservation Biology from San Francisco State University.

Tara Cornelise, Ph.D.

"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to work with Tara as she is bringing great enthusiasm and a strong network of scientists and practitioners to the Natural Areas Journal," said Lisa Smith, Executive Director, Natural Areas Association. "Her intention to support the NAJ as an important publication for our natural areas community is exciting to witness."

"I am thrilled to be the new editor of the Natural Areas Journal, " said Tara Cornelisse, Ph.D. "I have spent my career focused on the conservation of rare species and ecosystems and have seen first-hand the many ways work published -in and highlighted by the Natural Areas Journal and Association contributes to on-the-ground conservation. With the increasing impacts of climate change and continued biodiversity loss and habitat degradation around the globe, the applied and practical management actions published in the Natural Areas Journal are critical to the advancement of conservation initiatives and targets. In my tenure as editor, I will ensure the journal continues to publish high-quality, applied research and knowledge useful to managers and practitioners as well as promote the importance of such work to the broader conservation community, from scientists to policy makers and educators. I will work to grow the connections between researchers and practitioners to highlight shared goals, tools, obstacles, and solutions, while also emphasizing methods of managing and restoring specific ecosystems and species. I look forward to being a part of and learning from this important community and the vital work you do to advance conservation."