Meet Marcy Mahr!

Director Spotlight – Marcy Mahr

Meet Marcy Mahr, a Slocan Valley ecologist who has spent three decades championing mountain ecosystems across western North America! Whether she’s tracking western toads by headlamp or mucking around wetlands, her passion for nature remains her constant compass. 🌲🐸

Her strength lies in connecting on-the-ground inventory, research, and stewardship with broader conservation outcomes — understanding exactly how localized research contributes to solutions within the larger ecological whole.

🎨 An Artful Approach to Science

Marcy’s unique lens on ecology was shaped early on. During her final year of high school, amidst courses in biology, ecology, and chemistry, an art history class opened a brand-new world. After earning her undergraduate degree and spending the summer studying geomorphology and glaciers in Alaska, she set off to spend a year living and working in Paris, followed by six months in Amsterdam, immersing herself in art, languages, and culture. 

While she always knew her career would belong to the biological sciences and wild places, that detour to explore Europe continues to shape how she recognizes nature’s artistry and patterns today, helping her see landscape dynamics and nature’s cathedrals through a deeply creative lens.

🐻 Championing Kootenay Connect

Marcy is a driving force behind Kootenay Connect, alongside grizzly bear biologist Michael Proctor. The initiative stems from a simple idea: nature needs to move. What began in 2018 as a vision to keep the Kootenays connected through a network of 12 ecological corridors is leading the way to shape ecological corridor policy and management in BC. This vision also provided a framework that guided an ambitious, on-the-ground effort to restore habitats for species at risk and increase landscape resilience to climate change. 

Kootenay Connect weaves together leading science, local and Indigenous knowledge, and community-based action to advance wildlife movement, ecological connectivity, and landscape-scale conservation across the region. By working across jurisdictional boundaries, Kootenay Connect identifies where conservation and stewardship can have the greatest impact. The project safeguards vital pathways for roaming wildlife —from grizzly bears and badgers to bats— ensuring diverse and healthy populations and resilient ecosystems in southeast BC. 

Dive deeper into Kootenay Connect here: https://kootenayconnect.org/ and into Kootenay Connect Priority Places here: https://kootenayconservation.ca/kootenay-connect-priority-places/

🌎 Why She Joined CMI

For Marcy, it’s all about the community. She thrives alongside fellow researchers who love to “nerd out” on ecological details while keeping the grander picture of landscape biodiversity in sharp focus. 

Marcy’s advice for Early-Career Ecologists?

“Stay curious and open to opportunities to ensure you have an interesting journey. Believe you are needed in this field and your ideas matter. There are many pathways to becoming a biologist or ecologist so ask people you admire about their careers… and network, network, network!”