Lauren Eckert

Postdoctoral fellow, Honorary Auntie | she/her/hers

My name is Lauren Eckert. I am a settler-descended scholar and immigrant to Canada of mixed European descent, and currently split my time between the University of British Columbia (territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh Nations), Tla’amin Nation territory, and Lingít Aaní (Lund, BC and Southeast Alaska).

I am a Western-trained conservation scientist fundamentally interested equitable conservation science and practice that embraces multiple disciplines, knowledges, and approaches towards supporting human rights and biodiversity. My current research project is ‘Fish Outlaws’; in partnership with Indigenous Nations across so-called Canada and the USA, the Fish Outlaws team seeks to document unjust criminalization of Indigenous fisheries and shine light on visions and actions towards just futures. My broader research interests human-other than human animal relationships, equitable knowledge-bridging approaches, environmental policy, and conservation conflicts and their transformation. I am also the Board President for the Alaska Whale Foundation and Board Chair for The Narwhal.