Kara Barron

Kara Barron currently serves as the Southwest Plant Materials Program Manager at the Institute for Applied Ecology and is a co-founder of the Desert Seed Resource Center, focusing on the availability of native plant materials for conservation in the desert Southwest. Previously, Kara worked as a Senior Botanist at Chicago Botanic Garden, supporting the Bureau of Land Management's Plant Conservation and Restoration program, and as Program Director at the Gila Watershed Partnership of Arizona, overseeing riparian restoration efforts. Kara's extensive experience also includes roles as a Research Assistant and a Graduate Research Assistant at Desert Botanical Garden and Arizona State University, respectively, along with various positions in education and citizen science initiatives. Kara earned a Master of Science in Plant Biology and Conservation and a Bachelor of Science in Plant Biology from Arizona State University, alongside an Associate of Science in Biology from Phoenix College.