My Story
Hi, I'm Brad Thornton, the Science Coordinator for the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture working out of the Nebraska Coop Fish & Wildlife Research Unit.
My background in natural resources and conservation contains a variety of experiences that span multiple states. Originally, from rural northwest Missouri, I moved slightly east to earn a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Environmental Studies at Truman State University (2016). Then I spent several years traveling, which included time spent working on a national wildlife refuge in Massachusetts, collecting long-term monitoring data with the National Park Service in Missouri, and working with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture in Nebraska as a GIS/Biotechnician. Narrowing in on conservation partnerships and geospatial applications, I earned certificate in GIS for Natural Resources from Utah State University in 2019. Continuing that path, I traveled south to earn a M.Sc. in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University (2023) with research focused on spatial conservation planning in the Southeastern U.S. I stayed at MSU to work as the Coordinator for the CRP Menu project before returning to Nebraska. As the Science Coordinator for the RWBJV, I look forward to working with conservation partners to support and sustain ecosystems and wildlife populations across Nebraska.
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, camping, and/or birding in addition to spending time indoors playing board games, trivia, and catching live music at local venues. You may also catch me daydreaming about restoring tallgrass prairie and oak savanna for grassland birds.