Ruth Bennett
Smithsonian Research Ecologist
Ruth Bennett is a research ecologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, which is dedicated to understanding and conserving the grand phenomenon of bird migration. She received a PhD in Natural Resources from Cornell University and an MS in Applied Ecology from Michigan Technological University. Bennett’s current work seeks to optimize the conservation of birds and other wildlife in working landscapes, especially in coffee and cocoa growing regions of Latin America. As the director of the Smithsonian Bird Friendly certification, Bennett develops and promotes biodiversity-friendly certification standards that apply to multiple crop types and provides conservation outcomes at both farm and landscape scales. She is also an expert on the nonbreeding ecology and conservation of migratory songbirds and leads conservation plan development for these species. She recently helped launch a Bird Friendly Coalition to bring together market-based conservation initiatives across the hemisphere. Bennett developed a love of migratory birds and coffee agriculture while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras at the Universidad Nacional de Agricultura. While there, she helped implement a biological education program for students living in coffee-growing communities and conducted research about how land management practices impact migratory birds.