Dana Ripper

Location: Missouri

Dana Ripper

Dana is the Executive Director of the Missouri River Bird Observatory. She is a wildlife ecologist who focuses on birds and their conservation. She has an MS in ecology from Arkansas State University (2002) and worked on biological research projects across the U.S. before making Missouri home in 2008. In 2010, Dana co-founded the Missouri River Bird Observatory (MRBO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation via science, education, and advocacy. Since plastic production and waste mismanagement pose significant threats to the conservation of wildlife, climate stability, and natural resources, one of Dana’s major emphases in her work with MRBO is systemic reduction in single-use plastics. She is pleased to have become part of the Beyond Plastics Volunteer Speakers Bureau after completing coursework with Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics founder, through Bennington College in 2021.

When Dana is not working on conservation issues, she enjoys vegetable gardening, maintaining a small native prairie reconstruction at her home, reading fiction, observing the behavior of backyard birds, and cooking and eating locally produced food.