Christopher Dunn

Biography

Christopher Dunn is a botanist and conservation ecologist with considerable experience studying native plant communities, human impacts on the landscape, and the relationships between peoples and place. For the past two decades, he has focused on the interdependence between biological diversity and the diversity of human cultures and languages and has been engaging with Indigenous communities on Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation.  He is active in global environmental organizations, including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (for which he served as inaugural Chair of the IUCN National Committee for the USA; and serves on the Steering Committee of IUCN’s Climate Crisis Commission) and the International Association of Botanic Gardens (for which he serves as North American Councillor).  He has held leadership roles at major botanic gardens in the US and recently retired as Executive Director of Cornell Botanic Gardens at Cornell University.