Gabriel is one of 17 inaugural members of the IUCN Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). The first of its kind, the YAC was launched in April 2024 to support the implementation of the IUCN Youth Strategy across the Union. The YAC is comprised of youth from across the globe, each bringing their own diverse experiences to support meaningful youth engagement in IUCN’s policies, processes and programmes. Get to know Gabriel and other YAC members as we introduce them.
Hey everyone, my name is Gabriel Oppler! I am currently based in Missoula, Montana, where I work as the International Policy & Partnerships Specialist at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC). This non-governmental organisation, a member of the IUCN aims to advance ecological connectivity for climate resilience worldwide through science, policy, practice, and collaboration. I am a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas and help coordinate the WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group.
I completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Haverford College and a Master’s in International Conservation & Development from the University of Montana. For my master’s thesis, I conducted research in Ecuador on the implementation of a large-scale ecological corridor in the country’s south-eastern Andes.
Before joining the Center in 2019, I gained experience in field ecology by studying botany in Wisconsin and tropical soils in Panama. I have also served as an environmental educator in California and Colorado, where I worked to encourage natural science literacy and environmental stewardship among elementary and middle school students.