As the deputy director of conservation science at the Natural Areas Conservancy, Clara Pregitzer oversees the organization’s research and conservation efforts in natural areas in New York City as well as other US cities. She led the forest assessment component of the Natural Areas Conservancy Ecological Assessment for New York City parkland and the development of the Forest Management Framework. She previously worked with NYC Parks Natural Resources Group conducting ecological assessments in over 1,500 acres of New York City parks. Pregitzer holds a BS in forestry from Northern Arizona University, an MS in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Tennessee, and a PhD at Yale School of the Environment. She is currently working on understanding conservation goals and management strategies for urban forested natural areas in New York City and across the United States.