James Johnson
Research Associate
johnson@regionalconservation.org

Growing up on one of Georgia’s oldest farms, James developed a deep appreciation and a never-ending curiosity for the natural world.  His Grandfather and Father impressed upon him the practice of good stewardship of the land and the conservation of its natural resources, and this wisdom guided him into his current field of work in environmental conservation.

James graduated with honors from Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) in Savannah, Georgia with a degree in biology.  While at AASU he worked as a biological research assistant on a project aimed at better understanding the metabolic pathways of epiphytic Bromeliads.  James then came to South Florida in 2009 to pursue the life of a graduate student at Florida Atlantic University and found himself at home in the environment of the Everglades and the costal landscape.

While at FAU, James was involved in many research endeavors spanning from the peat bogs in northern Alberta, Canada, to the tree islands of the Everglades.  He graduated with a master’s degree in 2012 after completing a thesis titled “Estimating the Vulnerability of Everglades Peat to Combustion”.  During his time in graduate school, James became became very familiar with the Greater Everglades ecosystem and joined the team at ICR in November 2012 as a field biologist to continue the ongoing conservation efforts in South Florida and beyond.

In 2014 James moved back to Georgia to begin a Ph.D. program.