Howard E. Woodin Environmental Studies Colloquium Series

Restoration through Dam Removal and River Reconnection - A Nature Based Approach to Community Resilience, a Howard E. Woodin Environmental Studies Colloquium Series talk by Karina Dailey, Vermont Natural Resources Council.

VT has more than 1,000 dams, hundreds of which no longer serve a useful purpose. Instead, they degrade water quality, restrict the movement of fish and other wildlife, and pose a significant risk to public safety. By removing these derelict dams, VNRC works to restore natural river process, reduce flood risk, increase community resilience and improve biodiversity.    

Karina Dailey is a Restoration Ecologist for Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC). In this position, she is responsible for running VNRC’s dam removal program and contributing her scientific knowledge and expertise to policy issues around the conservation and restoration of Vermont’s waters. Prior to joining VNRC, Karina worked as a Senior Ecologist at Trudell Consulting Engineers (TCE) in Williston, overseeing the ecology department and managing all-natural resource-related projects and providing expert testimony. Formerly, Dailey was a Project Manager for the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District and a Restoration Ecologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Intervale Nursery. Before moving to Vermont, she taught environmental science and worked in conservation in the Greater Yellowstone area in Wyoming.

Karina holds a master’s in environmental science from Antioch University New England, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Sociology from St. Lawrence University.  She is a Certified Wetland Scientist and Wildlife Biologist.  Karina lives with her family in Jericho and enjoys every opportunity for outdoor exploration.