Callie Broaddus is the founder and executive director of Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, a nonprofit advancing a new model for biodiversity conservation by empowering young people to directly fund and lead the protection of threatened species and habitats. As a committed fundraiser for endangered species since the fourth grade, she believes that young people have the capacity to shape conservation outcomes today, and that incorporating youth into governance and decision-making strengthens immediate conservation actions as well as long-term success.

Since founding Reserva in 2019, Callie has worked with local partners and youth around the world to co-design and support conservation initiatives in some of Earth’s most unique ecosystems, including the creation of the world’s first entirely youth-funded nature reserve in Ecuador. Her work combines land protection, scientific research, storytelling, and youth leadership development to create lasting conservation outcomes.

Callie also serves on the board of directors of The Explorers Club and Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants. She is an experienced expedition leader and conservation photographer, NOLS Wilderness First Responder, a recipient of the Rolex Explorers Club grant and “EC50” award, a 2022 Jackson Wild Media Lab Fellow, and a 2026 Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Nominee. Her work has been featured in outlets including National Geographic, the Washington Post, Hallmark+, and the PBS documentary “Wild Hope: Does Nature Have Rights?” Prior to Reserva, Callie was a senior designer at National Geographic Kids. She holds a B.S. in architecture from the University of Virginia.