As the Conservation Science and Policy Analyst in the Center for Conservation Innovation, Natalie works at the intersection of science and policy. She aims to use the best available science to improve and advocate for more effective policies that protect and conserve threatened and endangered species as well as their habitat.

Before joining Defenders, Natalie worked as the Natural Resources Manager for the Nebraska Army National Guard. In graduate school she conducted research that explored various aspects of community ecology and human-wildlife interactions. Major areas of focus included co-existence and dietary partitioning among Michigan's carnivores, and a meta-analysis exploring the impacts of anthropogenic noise on birds.