Chris Swanston

Our history helps set our expectations, and our expectations and values often help shape our perception of risk. What happens when rapid change breaks this paradigm and our implicit reliance on history becomes maladaptive? Successful climate adaptation at scale will require clear expression of values, explicit discussion of risk perception and tolerance, and an embrace of uncertainty.

Speaker Biography

Chris Swanston – Director of Science, Save the Redwoods League

Chris Swanston, PhD, is a forest ecologist whose research bridges biogeochemistry, climate adaptation, and carbon stewardship to foster climate resilience in forest ecosystems. Over more than two decades, his work has evolved from investigating soil microenvironments to developing frameworks for analysis and practice at operational and landscape scales, and ultimately to informing national policy. This work spans academic and applied publications, widely used practitioner tools, and collaborations with agencies, Tribes, NGOs, and land managers. He has served in senior leadership roles with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, where he helped shape agency-wide policy on climate adaptation and carbon stewardship, and currently serves as Director of Science for Save the Redwoods League. Chris holds a BS in forest soils and ecology from Humboldt State University and both MS and PhD degrees in forest science from Oregon State University. He completed postdoctoral work in forest biogeochemistry at I.N.R.A., France, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.