Darya Wecker (Watnick)

 

Darya Wecker (Watnick) currently works for The Nature Conservancy’s Corporate Engagement team as a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, where she supports TNC’s collaborations in the private sector. Before starting at TNC, Darya was a Postgraduate Research Associate for the Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program where she addressed quantitative research needs for soil carbon measurement and verification on U.S. croplands. While at Yale, Darya co-developed the Soil Health Policy: Developing Community-Driven State Soil Health Policy and Programs guidebook as part of the Regenerative Agriculture Initiative. She also chaired the 2021 Yale Food Systems Symposium and coordinated the Ecosystem Management & Conservation specialization and learning community. Prior to graduate school, Darya spent three years living and working in Israel. She was also the Director of Jewish Engagement at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington DC, where she had a fellowship in Jewish Outdoor, Food/Farming, and Environmental Education (JOFEE), working to integrate Jewish traditions and rituals with environmental and outdoor education. Darya graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Religious Studies. She received her MEM with a focus in agriculture & food systems from the Yale School of the Environment in 2021.