Janene Lichtenberg

Janene Lichtenberg is the Chair of the Wildlife and Fisheries Department and Director of the Climate Learning Hub at Salish Kootenai College. Her work at SKC began in 2013 with the goal of developing the Wildlife and Fisheries degree programs. She is a wildlife biologist specializing in species conservation and animal-habitat relationships, and an educator committed to supporting students as they build strong foundations for their future careers.

At SKC, she has led research on pollinator ecology, huckleberry phenology, bird conservation, and elk behavior. She has spent much of her career working in collaboration with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), including 12 years as a Wildlife Biologist where she wrote the environmental assessments and assisted with the CSKT Trumpeter Swan and Northern Leopard Frog reintroduction projects; conducted the first comprehensive bat species inventory on the Flathead Reservation; developed conservation plans for many of the CSKT Wildlife Habitat Mitigation Areas; and setup monitoring protocols for birds, small mammals, reptile, and amphibians. Through the Climate Learning Hub, she has expanded learning opportunities in support of CSKT priorities, professional development, student skill-building, youth education, community events, and ecological health.

Prior to her work on the Flathead Reservation she studied wetland-associated wildlife with U.S. Geological Survey, setup grassland bird surveys for the National Park Service, documented rare plants on the Buffalo National River, assisted with a variety of ecological research projects for Utah State University, evaluated mountain goat habitat and conducted range trend studies for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and worked as a wilderness ranger for the U.S. Forest Service. She is honored to have been selected as SKC Faculty of the Year (2022–2023) and recognized as a River Honoree in 2019. She is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside students, colleagues, and collaborators in support of healthy ecosystems and natural resource stewardship. She has been married to her husband since 1996 and they raised three sons that inspire her every day. She enjoys wildlife watching, photography, hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, and spending time with her family and pets.