Gila Goodwin

Department: School of Natural Resources and the Environment

Research Advisor: Jesse Alston

Education:
MS in Natural Resources, Wildlife Conservation and Management, current, University of
Arizona
BA in Environmental Science with distinction, 2023, Colorado College

Bio: Gila Goodwin is an MS student in Natural Resources, Wildlife Conservation and Management
at the University of Arizona and is a National Science Foundation CAMBIUM fellow. Gila’s
interest in ecology and landscape conservation stems from being raised on a cattle ranch in an
exceptionally biodiverse part of the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion of the Mexico–United
States borderlands. This early exposure to land stewarding, grounded and informed by close
attention to place, inspired her commitment to studying the ecological processes that underpin
biodiversity and how this knowledge might inform land management and conservation decisions.
Gila’s current research is interested in the distribution of key riparian tree and shrub species
across riparian areas in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, where she will 
(a) map their current distributions and (b) identify environmentally suitable areas where
restoration efforts are most likely to establish new or expanded populations. Through her 
research, she hopes to integrate species distribution modeling, climate forecasting, and
biodiversity informatics to develop an actionable, climate-resilient framework for riparian
restoration in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Outside of her studies, Gila
is a horse trainer, enjoys all things outdoors, and spends much of her time spinning her sheep’s
wool, knitting, sewing, and craftin