Jaime Stephens, MS

As Director of Conservation, Jaime integrates a foundation of forest ecology, bird conservation priorities, and regional avian science to inform land management decisions. She collaborates with a diverse suite of partners to guide resource management strategies and conservation actions that improve outcomes for birds and ecosystems.

Her current work focuses on oak woodland restoration in southwest Oregon and northern California and, more broadly, across the Pacific Northwest; oak habitats host some of our most at-risk bird species. At the local level, she coordinates the Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network, a partnership with a proven track record of leveraging multi-million-dollar projects to restore imperiled oak habitats. She is also involved in several forest collaboratives working to restore forests to reduce wildfire risks, increase climate resilience, and enhance wildlife habitat.

Jaime works closely with the science team at KBO to answer the most pressing questions to inform efforts to halt the decline of western birds. As science continues to elucidate the causes of decline for at-risk bird species, Jaime ensures we take the next steps to co-produce outcome-oriented conservation efforts that are inclusive of not only conservation decision-makers but also impacted communities, interested parties, and rights-holders.

Jaime has 25 years of experience working in ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. She earned her BS in Zoology and Conservation Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined KBO in the spring of 2002 as a Master’s student at Southern Oregon University. She completed a thesis comparing the effects of various timber harvest prescriptions of forest interior songbirds. From 2008-2022, Jaime was KBO’s Science Director, overseeing and growing our long-term monitoring and applied ecology programs. During that time, she published more than 20 papers examining focal species; bird communities related to environment and climate; and avian response to grazing, wildfire, hazardous fuel reduction, and restoration. Her publications have also examined migratory movements, connectivity, spatial and temporal components of molt, and site fidelity. In addition, she has authored five conservation plans that are the foundation of her current work.