Stakeholder Engagement Director
Catherine (Cat) Kutz is a science communicator and George Mason University alumna with over a decade of experience advancing efforts to safeguard biodiversity, support researchers, and amplify environmental innovation. Her work has taken her from field sites in some of the world’s most biodiverse places to international stages, partnering with scientists, NGOs, and local communities to translate complex ideas into stories that actually stick.
Cat currently serves as a Board Member of the Women in Nature Network and as a Communications Advisor to Simplex eDNA and the Society for Conservation Biology Marine Program. Across her work, she focuses on making emerging science and technology more accessible—while staying rooted in the people and places behind it.
She is also the co-creator and co-host of Into the Bush: Voices of Wild Women, a storytelling platform that explores the lives, challenges, and motivations of women working in conservation. The project reflects her broader interest in field-based communications and in bringing audiences closer to the real, often unseen experiences of researchers and practitioners.
At the core of her work is a belief that storytelling can be both scientifically rigorous and deeply human. Cat is especially interested in approaches that are grounded in evidence but led with optimism — helping build a more inclusive conservation community that supports emerging leaders and connects people more meaningfully to the natural world.
In the Media
Selected Writing and Editorial Work
- “The End of the Competition is Just the Beginning for XPRIZE Rainforest”— XPRIZE
- “A World on Fire: 2024 Wildfire Trends and the Innovations Offering Hope” — XPRIZE
- “Eyes in the Sky: The Power of Space-Based Wildfire Detection” — XPRIZE
- “Exploring Land-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Solutions for a Greener Future” — XPRIZE
- “Pulling CO₂ Out of Our Oceans: Combating Climate Change Through Carbon Dioxide Removal” — XPRIZE
- “XPRIZE Rainforest Partners with UNDP to Scale and Implement Conservation Solutions” — United Nations Development Programme
Feature article highlighting global implementation pathways for rainforest technologies
- XPRIZE Rainforest Solutions Catalogue: The Innovative Technologies Revolutionizing Tropical Rainforest Conservation — XPRIZE
Lead copywriting, narrative development, and design for flagship technical publication bridging science and accessibility
- The Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership: Report and Outlook — United Nations Development Programme
Lead editorial support translating global policy into accessible insights
- “How to Look Ahead With Hope for Our Planet in 2022 and Beyond” — Smithsonian Institution
- “Here’s How to Find Optimism in This Moment of Fear and Uncertainty”— Smithsonian Institution
- “Into the Bush: Nature Needs Women” — Into the Bush (original publication)
Selected Photography Featured in Media
Cat’s field photography documenting innovative conservation technologies in action has been featured in:
- Forbes
- Fast Company
- Mongabay
- Anthropocene
- Yale News
- Virginia Tech News
- Additional regional, national, and international outlets covering tech and the environment
