Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne

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Current Position

  • Senior Scientist in Bennett Sustainability Science Lab, McGill University
  • Independent Consultant​
 
Degrees Received
  • Doctorate of Philosophy, Geography (2010)
        McGill University, Montreal
        Managing trade-offs: understanding ecosystem service
​        bundles in diverse landscapes
  • Master of Science, Plant Science (2004)
        Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama



Research interests

  • Ecosystem service and sustainability science and assessment
  • Futures thinking and transformations theory
  • Science-policy interface at all levels from local to international
  • Science writing and communication
  • Capacity building in ecosystem service assessment methods, scenarios
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Publications

Preston, S. M., Raudsepp-Hearne, C. on behalf of 'Value of Nature to Canadians Study Taskforce'. 2017. Completing and Using Ecosystem Service Assessment for Decision-Making: An Interdisciplinary Toolkit for Managers and Analysts. Ottawa, ON: Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments of Canada.

Potvin C, Sharma D, Creed I, Aitken S, Anctil F, Bennett E, Berkes F, Bernstein S, Bleau N, Bourque A, Brown B, Burch S, Byrne J, Cunsolo A, Dale A, de Lange D, Dyck B, Entz M, Etcheverry J, Faucher R, Fenech A, Fraser L, Henriques I, Heyland A, Hoffmann M, Hoberg G, Holden M, Huang G, Jacob AL, Jodoin S, Kemper A, Lucotte M, Maranger R, Margolis L, Mauro I, McDonnell J, Meadowcroft J, Messier C, Mkandawire M, Morency C, Mousseau N, Oakes K, Otto S, Palmater P, Palmer TS, Paquin D, Perl A, Potvin A, Ramos H, Raudsepp-Hearne C, Richards N, Robinson J, Sheppard S, Simard S, Sinclair BJ, Slawinski N, Stoddart M, Villard M-A, Villeneuve C, and Wright T. 2017. Stimulating a Canadian narrative for climate. FACETS 2: 131–149. doi:10.1139/facets-2016-0029

Bennett, E.M., M. Solan, R. Biggs, T. MacPhearson, A. Norstrom, P. Olsson, L. Pereira, G. D. Peterson, C. Raudsepp-Hearne, F. Beirmann, S. R. Carpenter, E. Ellis, T. Hichert, V. Galaz, M. Lahsen, B. Martin-Lopez, K. A. Nicolas, R. Preisser, G. Vince, J. Vervoort, and J. Xu. 2016. Bright Spots: Seeds of a Good Anthropocene. Frontiers in Ecology and Environment.

Raudsepp-Hearne, C., and G. D. Peterson. 2016. Scale and ecosystem services: how do observation, management, and analysis shift with scale—lessons from Québec. Ecology and Society 21(3):16.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08605-210316

Balvanera, P., Hall, J.S., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Van Bael, S., Murgueitio, E., Calle, Z. 2015. The Importance of Ecosystem Services to Society. Chapter 3 in: Managing Watersheds for Ecosystem Services in the Steepland Neotropics. 2015. Hall, J.S., Kirn, V., Yanguas Fernandez, E. (Eds.). Inter-American Development Bank. Environment, Rural Development Disaster Risk Management Division. V. Series.

Moss, D., Hall, J.S., Murgueitio, E., Calle, Z. Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Balvanera, P., Raes, L. 2015. Implications of Climate and Land Use Change. Chapter 6 in: Managing Watersheds for Ecosystem Services in the Steepland Neotropics. 2015. Hall, J.S., Kirn, V., Yanguas Fernandez, E. (Eds.). Inter-American Development Bank. Environment, Rural Development Disaster Risk Management Division. V. Series.

Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Aiello, A., Hussein, A.A., Heller, M.V., Johns, T., Capson, T.L.  2015.  Differential Sequestration of a Cytotoxic Vismione from the Host Plant Vismia baccifera by Periphoba arcaei and Pyrrhopyge thericles. Journal of Chemical Ecology. (Online ISSN 1573-1561)

Biggs R, L Gordon, C Raudsepp-Hearne, M Schlüter, B Walker. 2015. Principle 3 – Manage slow variables and feedbacks. Chapter 5 (p105-141) in: Principles for Building Resilience: Sustaining Ecosystem Services in Social Ecological Systems. R Biggs, M Schlüter, ML Schoon (eds). Cambridge University Press. 

Nemec, K.T., Raudsepp-Hearne, C. 2013. The use of geographic information systems to map and assess ecosystem services. Biodiversity and Conservation 22(1): 1-15

Biggs, R., Schlüter, M., Biggs, D., Bohensky, E.L., BurnSilver, S., Cundill, G., Dakos, V., Daw, T.M., Evans, L.S., Kotschy, K., Leitch, A.M., Meek, C., Quinlan, A., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Robards, M.D., Schoon, M.L., Schultz, L, and West, P.C. 2012. Toward Principles for Enhancing the Resilience of Ecosystem Services.  Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Vol. 37: 421 -448 (Volume publication date November 2012)

Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Peterson, G., Tengo, M., Bennett, E.M., Holland, T., Benessaiah, K., MacDonald, G.K., Pfeifer, L. 2010. Untangling the environmentalist’s paradox: why is human well-being increasing as ecosystem service degrade? Bioscience 60(8).

Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Peterson, G., Bennett, E. 2010. Ecosystem service bundles for analyzing tradeoffs in diverse landscapes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America. Published online before print March 1, 2010, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907284107

Ash, N., Blanco, H., Brown, C., Garcia, K., Henrichs, T., Lucas, N., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Simpson, R.D., Scholes, R., Tomich, T., Vira, B., Zurek, M. (Eds.). 2010. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: A Manual for Assessment Practitioners. Island Press, Washington.
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World Resources Institute. 2008.  Ecosystem services: a guide for decision-makers.  Ranganathan, J., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Lucas, N., Irwin, F., Zurek, M., Bennett, K., Ash, N., West, P. Washington D.C.: World Resources Institute.

Raudsepp-Hearne, C. & Capistrano, D.  2009.  The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: a multiscale assessment for global stakeholders.  In: Taking stock of nature: participatory biodiversity assessment for policy planning and practice. Anna Lawrence (Ed).  Cambridge University Press.

Biggs, R., C. Raudsepp-Hearne, C. Atkinson-Palombo, E. Bohensky, E. Boyd, G. Cundill, H. Fox, S. Ingram, K. Kok, S. Spehar, M. Tengö, D. Timmer, and M. Zurek 2007. Linking futures across scales: a dialog on multiscale scenarios. Ecology and Society 12(1): 17. [online] URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol12/iss1/art17/

Capistrano, D., Samper, C. Lee, M., Raudsepp-Hearne, C. (Eds). 2005.  Synthesis: Reflections and Lessons Learned. In: Multi-Scale Assessments: Findings of the Sub-Global Assessment Working Group (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). Island Press, Washington.

Gitay, H., Raudsepp-Hearne, C.  2005. Assessment Process. In: Multi-Scale Assessments: Findings of the Sub-Global Assessment Working Group (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). Island Press, Washington.

Woodley, E., Ericksen, P., Reid, W., Cundill, G., Vicente, L., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Mogina, J., Olsson, P. 2005.  Using Multiple Knowledge Systems in Sub-global assessments: Benefits and Challenges.  In: Multi-Scale Assessments: Findings of the Sub-Global Assessment Working Group (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). Island Press, Washington.

Reid, W., Mooney, H., Cropper, A., Capistrano, D., Carpenter, S, Chopra, K, Dasgupta, P, Dietz, T., Duraiappah, A., Kasperson, R., Leemans, R., May, R, McMichael, T., Pingali, P., Hassan, R., Samper, C., Scholes, B., Shidong, Z., Watson, R., Zakri, A.H., Ash, N., Kumar, P., Lee, M., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Thonell, J., Zurek, M. 2005.  General Synthesis Report: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Island Press, Washington.

Work Experience
 
2016                Coordinator, Bio-Bridge Initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity (partnership with Quebec Centre for Biodiversity                          Science and UNEP-WCMC), Montreal

2014 - 2015    Researcher with project ‘Bright Spots: Seeds of a good Anthropocene’ (Funded by FutureEarth, Stockholm Resilience                                     Centre, PECS, Ecoservices)
                                 
2014 -              Scientist / Author / Consultant for Sustainable Canada Dialogues, Montreal
 
2013 - 2015    Consultant / Part-time Employee at Environment Canada, Ottawa (multiple contracts), engaged to develop an 'Ecosystem                          Service Toolkit' for Canada.
 
2011 - 2015    Consultant to Government of Alberta, Alberta (multiple contracts), engaged to:
  • Provide research and advice on how to integrate biodiversity and ecosystem service concepts across government programs.
  • Provide guidance on integrating ecosystem service concepts in regional plans
  • Advisory role on a pilot assessment of wetland ecosystem services in the Shepard Slough region, east of Calgary. Pilot assessment followed WRI and UNEP-WCMC manuals of which I am a principle author.
  • Edit Wetland ecosystem service assessment report, provided follow-up recommendations on mainstreaming ecosystem services in ministries.
 
Nov, 2014       Consultant to The Cropper Foundation and government of Trinidad and Tobago, engaged to provide guidance and                                        facilitation on scenario development to support ProEcoServ goals within Trinidad and Tobago.
 
2012                Consultant to The Nature Conservancy, Patagonia, Argentina, engaged to conduct spatial assessment of ranchland                                        ecosystem services in Neuquen Province.    
 
2008-2009      Author / Consultant to UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, England, engaged to co-write a manual on ecosystem service                                              assessment (see Publications).
 
2005-2007       Coordinator / Author, World Resources Institute, Washington D., engaged to coordinate the production of and co-write a                             guidebook for international decision-makers on how to consider the role of ecosystem services in development decisions.
 
2003-2005       Coordinator Subglobal Working Group, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, WorldFish Center, Penang, Malaysia
                          Coordinated 33 local and national ecosystem assessments across world, co-edited and co-wrote cross-analysis of the                                     processes and findings of the 33 assessments.
 
2003-2004      Conference Organizer, Bridging Scales and Epistemologies Conference, Alexandria, Egypt
                         Co-organized a conference around the concept of bridging the divide between science and traditional knowledge to inform                           policy. Part of Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
 
2003                Consultant to ANDES Indigenous Association, Cusco, Peru
                         Developed project proposals and grant applications for ecosystem service assessment work in conjunction with local non-                            governmental organization.

Selected Awards

2015                Clean50 Top 15 Project Award (to Sustainable Canada Dialogues Project)
2008                Global Environmental and Climate Change Centre Grant
2005-2008      NSERC Research Grant
2007 -              Resilience Alliance Young Scholar
2007                National Estonian Foundation of Canada Scholarship
2005                Zayed Prize for Scientific/Technical Achievement in Environment (to authors of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment)
2003-2005      Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Young Fellow
2002-2003      Organization of American States Fellowship
2002                Office Québec-Amériques pour la Jeunesse Grant
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Contact information

ciara.raudsepp-hearne at mail.mcgill.ca or ciara.rh at gmail.com