Katie Reytar

Senior Research Associate, Forests Program

Bio

Katie Reytar is a Research Associate in the Forests Program. Her expertise focuses on GIS spatial analysis, modeling, and data management to inform environmental policy and management decisions. She provides GIS support to projects across the Institute—primarily the Forest Program’s Global Restoration Initiative and the Governance Center’s Land and Resource Rights project. Additional areas of project work include Water Quality, Coastal Ecosystems (Reefs at Risk Revisited), and Agricultural Sustainability.

Prior to joining WRI, Katie worked as an environmental engineer for the consulting firm ERG and supported various U.S. government clients, including the Environmental Protection Agency. She also interned at the World Wildlife Fund, performing GIS work for the Conservation Science and Humanitarian Partnerships programs.

Katie has a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Blogs

Brazil’s Forests Are Being Restored — Now We Can See Where
by Marcelo Matsumoto, Will Anderson, Katie Reytar and Leonardo Barbosa - March 10, 2021
There’s a movement building to restore forests in Brazil. And now, for the first time, it’s possible to track progress and see where tree cover is increasing across the country, through the new Brazilian Restoration and Reforestation Observatory.
How Local People Are Mapping Billions of Trees on Their Land
by Bernadette Arakwiye, Tesfay Woldemariam, Katie Reytar, Dow Martin, Carolina Gallo Granizo , Marie Duraisami and Will Anderson - February 09, 2021
Dry forests, farms and other areas with sparse tree cover can go uncounted by satellite technology. Local stakeholders can harness the power of Collect Earth to see where billions of trees are growing in landscapes around the world — and where land is under restoration.
Progress Must Speed Up to Protect and Restore Forests by 2030
by David Gibbs, Nancy Harris and Katie Reytar - November 19, 2020
This year's New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) assessment shows that the world failed to halve deforestation by this year, and is severely off track to end deforestation by 2030. Efforts must be made to speed up progress in order to reach the 2030 goal.
The Road to Restoration: 3 Steps For Transforming Landscapes
by René Zamora Cristales, Salima Mahamoudou, Ruchika Singh, Will Anderson, Peter Ndunda, Mariana Oliveira, Katie Reytar, John Brandt and Marcelo Matsumoto - October 01, 2020
With proper planning, government restoration pledges to the Bonn Challenge, Initiative 20x20, and AFR100 can turn into high-impact work. Although every landscape and country is different, these three steps to land restoration can help avoid pitfalls and accelerate success.
The Challenge of Tracking How a Trillion Trees Grow
by Katie Reytar, Florence Landsberg, Fred Stolle, Dow Martin, Will Anderson and John Brandt - July 30, 2020
Tracking tree growth will help us understand whether campaigns like the Trillion Trees Initiative are working and whether efforts to fight climate change are on the right track.
Deforestation Threatens the Mekong, but New Trees Are Growing in Surprising Places
by Katie Reytar, Fred Stolle and Will Anderson - October 02, 2019
Southeast Asia's Mekong region has lost much of its forests. A new satellite imagery technique reveals countries like Thailand are reversing the trend, not just in forests but on farms and villages too.
Malawi is Putting its Money Where its Forests Are
by Katie Reytar, Sabin Ray and Lucas Toh - December 13, 2018
Malawi's growing population depends on forests for wood or charcoal for cooking, but these forests are being cleared for agriculture, which 80 percent of Malawians rely on to support themselves. To combat this potentially disastrous trend, Malawi's government plans to pay its young people to plant trees.
Safeguarding the Carbon Stored in Indigenous and Community Lands is Essential to Meeting Climate Goals
by Katie Reytar, Marlena Chertock and Peter Veit - September 13, 2018
Scientists estimate that by managing the world's land more sustainably, such as by protecting forests and investing in reforestation, we could achieve up to 37 percent of emissions reductions necessary to limit the global rise in temperature to 2 degrees Celsius by 2030.
To Fight Food Insecurity in Malawi, Just Add Trees
by Katie Reytar - April 26, 2018
Satellite and other data reveal where restoring degraded landscapes could help improve food security in Malawi.
5 Maps Show How Important Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Are to the Environment
by Katie Reytar and Peter Veit - December 20, 2017
New data on the LandMark platform backs up what research already shows: Indigenous Peoples and local communities are some of the best environmental stewards.