Kelly VanBeek will serve as the first U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Grassland and Native Seed Strategy Coordinator starting October 6th.  In this role, Kelly will support collaborative grassland conservation and management actions across multiple sectors, including habitat, agriculture, and ecosystem services, and will provide coordination around native seed development, distribution, and use across the region. Kelly’s position is a result of the shared visions of both the Midwest Landscape Initiative and the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture, who worked together to develop the position in response to growing interest for more coordinated grassland conservation and native seed strategies in the Midwest. This is a long-term detail made possible with funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law/Ecosystem Restoration Grants program with support from the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Kelly will join the Science Applications – Midwest Landscape Initiative team, working alongside expertise from across USFWS programs while partnering extensively with people from many agencies and organizations across the Midwest, championing the diverse grassland conservation and native seed strategies already underway and advancing the goals and priorities identified at the 2024 Midwest Grassland Summit.  

Located in Madison, Wisconsin, Kelly has been with USFWS in the Migratory Bird Program since 2016, with her work largely focusing on grassland bird conservation. She held previous positions with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and a joint appointment with USFWS’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Ecological Services, positions that instilled in her an appreciation for land management to achieve objectives of multiple stakeholders. Kelly holds a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied the nesting ecology of birds in row crops.

Her interest in the intersection of wildlife conservation and agriculture started at an early age on her grandparents’ quintessential Wisconsin small dairy farm. The annual pulse of her life was heavily influenced by spring planting, summer hay-making, and fall harvest. The tales of grassland wildlife that no longer exist on the farm has fueled in her a deep passion for collaborative conservation across the Midwest. Her goal is that the region may once again see Eastern Meadowlarks perched upon many a fence post.

Kelly is eager to work with the extensive network of partners and stakeholders dedicated to accelerating the pace and scale of grassland conservation across our region. When not at work, she can be found behind two bird dogs that help her keep the fire of conservation stoked as they show her countless new places to cherish. Kelly’s email is kelly_vanbeek@fws.gov.