Myles Traphagen coordinates Wildlands Network’s borderlands program, with a focus on channeling collaborative efforts to maintain and restore habitat for species like jaguar, black bear and Sonoran pronghorn. He oversees strategic partnerships, communications and projects to advance large-landscape conservation goals in Mexico and the United States.

Myles was drawn to the Borderlands of southeast Arizona after obtaining his bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He began his career at San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge east of Douglas, Arizona, working on native fish recovery, grassland restoration and vegetation monitoring on prescribed burns. Although his early years were spent backpacking the Sierra Nevada and Big Sur in his native California, he didn’t stray far from the US/Mexico Borderlands and the neighboring Great Plains to the north. He spent several years monitoring grasslands on Ted Turner’s bison ranches, and then worked for the Turner Endangered Species Fund, rewilding the Bolson tortoise and advocating for conservation lands in the big turtle’s native habitat in Mexico.

He holds a Master of Science from the University of Arizona, where he conducted research on habitat connectivity between the United States and Mexico for the white-sided jackrabbit (Lepus callotis). Always an advocate for species with few champions, he maintains the role of IUCN Red List Authority Coordinator for the Lagomorph Specialist Group evaluating the conservation status of pikas, cottontails and hares of the world. Myles lives with his wife and 4-year-old son in Tucson. They enjoy swimming, playing music, making chile colorado sauce, and spending time with their families in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. He is a tribal member of the Chickasaw Nation and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.