People

Bethany Carl Kraft

Senior Director, Coastal and Marine Resilience

Bethany A. Carl Kraft (she/her) directs the coastal and marine conservation programs at the 探花精选, providing strategy and coordination for 探花精选鈥檚 work around the country to ensure that birds have the protections and habitats they need to thrive. Her work lies at the intersection of science, policy, and on-the-ground conservation with over 20 years of experience in restoration and recovery for wetlands and marshes, beaches and barrier islands, birds, oysters, and sea turtles. She also serves on the North American Wetlands Conservation Council staff to support Council member and 探花精选 Chief Conservation Officer Marshall Johnson and help conserve wetlands for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Prior to joining 探花精选 in 2022, Bethany worked as a consultant, supporting the State of Alabama鈥檚 Deepwater Horizon oil spill restoration program. Previously, she was the Director of the Gulf Restoration Program at Ocean Conservancy, where she led an interdisciplinary team to secure a science-based and community-supported restoration and ecosystem enhancement effort in the Gulf of Mexico. She also served a one-year detail to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council as the Director of External Affairs. She began her conservation career in Alabama, serving as Executive Director at the Alabama Coastal Foundation, where she was active in Alabama鈥檚 Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. Bethany has a B.A. in political science from Texas A&M University, a Graduate Certificate in coastal sciences from the University of New Orleans, and an M.S. in forest resources and conservation (restoration ecology) from the University of Florida.

Articles by Bethany Carl Kraft

The Challenges Our Oceans Face, And the Actions We Can Take
June 06, 2024 — Birds need healthy oceans to thrive. Here are some of the things we're thinking about for World Ocean's Day.
Two plovers sit in the sand on a beach next to washed up seaweed.
It鈥檚 Nesting Season: Don鈥檛 Forget to Share the Shore with Coastal Birds
April 04, 2024 — Birds like plovers and terns need our help to safely raise their chicks on beaches this summer.