Lucia Ibarra

Lucia serves as Director of Conservation at Dogwood Alliance, where she advances a bold vision for forest protection and community-led solutions across the Southern Coastal Plain. Her work sits at the intersection of justice, biodiversity, and climate policy, ensuring that conservation efforts not only protect ecosystems but also uplift the communities that depend on them.

Lucia helps translate vision into measurable impact. Through pioneering a bold model that advances land conservation through the lens of environmental justice by protecting forests and wetlands and uplifting rural communities affected by climate change and extractive industries. Through active coalition leadership and the co-creation of the Justice Conservation Fund, she strengthens partnerships and deepens Dogwood Alliance’s role as a catalyst for transformative conservation.

Lucia currently serves on two boards of directors at both the international and local levels. She serves on the board of Wildlands Network, a legacy conservation organization with more than three decades of impact advancing rewilding and continental-scale connectivity across North America. As a board member, she provides strategic governance and leadership to safeguard long-term institutional resilience and mission integrity. She also served on the Strategic Planning Committee, advising the Executive Director and senior staff on developing a five-year strategic plan to expand and integrate initiatives across Mexico and Canada.

She also serves on the board of MountainTrue, a community-powered nonprofit working across the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains to protect forests, safeguard clean water, and build healthier communities. Through her governance role, she supports strong board leadership, organizational alignment, and long-term strategic stability.

Lucia’s background in Environmental and Wildlife Biology has taken her across the United States and internationally to Africa and Mexico, where she has worked in diverse ecosystems and cultural landscapes as a biologist and environmental consultant. She holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership Studies with a concentration in Organizational Psychology from the University of San Diego, and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Habitat Management from Arizona State University. 

Beyond her professional work, Lucia is an avid diver who volunteers in coral reef restoration projects. She finds renewal in hiking, camping with her dog Bonsai, and exploring wetlands. She also shares and practices energy medicine, yoga, and meditation. These experiences deepen her connection to the natural world and continue to ground her commitment to protecting it.