Illinois Audubon Society welcomes Nathan Goldberg as the new Director of Conservation Science
As Director of Conservation Science, Nathan will be responsible for implementing the Illinois Audubon Society Conservation Science Program to conduct, coordinate, and support research on Society properties in conjunction with the Society’s mission of protecting Illinois’ native plants, animals, and the habitats that support them. We look forward to having Nathan on our team and are excited to broaden our reach and programs with his support.
Nathan began birding in Chicago back in 2009. His early passion for birds took him to the Field Museum where he interned in the Bird Department over his High School summers, and then on to Cornell University, achieving a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors both in Biological Sciences and American Indian and Indigenous Studies.
His connections to Illinois and Chicago led him back home after graduation. He served on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Ornithological Society from 2020-2023, and joined the Board of the Illinois Ornithological Society (IOS) in 2021, becoming their Vice President in 2023.
Nathan has been committed to Illinois birds and birding for over a decade and a half, and recently joined the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee and is a statewide eBird Reviewer and Hotspot Editor. He’s birded numerous times in all 102 counties, and forged relationships across the state. In 2020, Nathan also set the Illinois Big Year Record, totaling 341 species seen that year across the state – a record that still stands today.
Nathan’s passion for non-profit work began early in his professional career, working for the Adopt-a-Beach program at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and later joining the staff at Bostrom Corporation, an Association Management Company that works with many smaller-scale member and trade non-profit associations.
Following the pandemic, he shifted his professional focus to birds and worked as a Tour Leader and Guide for three years at Red Hill Birding, a Chicago-based domestic and international birdwatching tour company.
The recent merger of IOS and the Illinois Audubon Society has been a major focus of his over the last 8-10 months, and he’s been working hard to ensure the transition is smooth and handled with care.
Nathan will operate remotely from his home in Chicago and can be reached at ngoldberg@illinoisaudubon.org. His appointment is effective as of July 1, 2025.