Russell Jacobs

Field Specialist

Russell Jacobs has conducted ecological field studies, natural area restoration, and environmental education in and around New York City since 2016. As the Environmental Programs Manager at Hudson River Community Sailing he worked on environmental DNA studies, marine habitat restoration, water quality assessments, plant surveys, biodiversity assessments, and meteorological science. At the Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity, he oversaw several environmental education and restoration programs, including a large-scale initiative to propagate thousands of native plants in Rockaway elementary school classrooms for a large coastal restoration project. He has guided research projects on topics ranging from marsh grass ecology, to octopus behavior, to sea turtle strandings. Throughout his career, he has worked on initiatives with a variety of environmental organizations including Hudson River Park Trust, Riverkeeper, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the NY Department of Environmental Conservation, NYC Parks, and others. His writing on ecology and natural history has appeared in Slate, Hell Gate, Urban Omnibus, and other publications. He also leads nature walks for NYC Audubon and other organizations.