As director of the Global Tree Conservation Program at The Morton Arboretum, Silvia Alvarez-Clare’s role focuses on safeguarding threatened tree species through science-based conservation work conducted with stakeholders around the world.
Alvarez-Clare’s research focuses on using long-term monitoring, experimentation, and ecological techniques to understand how changes in climate, land use, and soil nutrients impact plant communities, particularly trees. She strives to translate her research into better policies, improved management practices, or restoration actions that will aid in saving tree species from extinction.
Alvarez-Clare also leads the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak, a network established by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) to ensure that no species of oak goes extinct. She also serves as a conservation officer for BGCI.
She is a member of the advisory board for the Global Trees Specialist Group, a voluntary network of more than 300 experts that is part of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In 2023, Alvarez-Clare spearheaded the creation of the Center for Species Survival: Trees, which was established at The Morton Arboretum through a strategic partnership with IUCN’s Species Survival Commission to serve as a catalyst for tree conservation and accelerate the actions needed to reverse species loss.
Mentoring students and interns is also an important aspect of Alvarez-Clare’s role at the Arboretum. She is a mentor for the National Science Foundation-funded project Rare Plant Network (Rare RaMP), which focuses on training and mentoring post-graduates in plant research and conservation.
