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Restoring Salmon Fisheries — and
A Tribal Birthright — in Pacific Northwest

January 30, 2015 — After centuries of overfishing and development, salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest were on the brink of collapse by the late 20th century, presenting a grim challenge for Native American tribes that have long relied on the fish. Aja DeCoteau ’07 M.E.M. is part of a response plan that has helped spur a remarkable recovery.

Shaping a New Kind of Conservation

January 14, 2015 —

During the past three decades, Peter Seligmann ’74 M.F.S. has transformed Conservation International into one of the world’s most important environmental organizations by building partnerships that cross sectors — and by convincing companies that doing the right thing can be good for business.

The Tropical Resources Institute:
Three Decades of Global Impact

November 14, 2014 — In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the F&ES-based Tropical Resource Institute, we asked several distinguished alumni to recollect the work they did while they were here, share what they’re doing today, and reflect on how their experiences with TRI changed their lives.

An Ancient Industry is Re-Imagined
In a Land Vulnerable to Climate Change

November 4, 2014 — About 15 percent of all coal burned in India each year is used to produce the bricks that supply the country’s ongoing building boom. F&ES alum Kunal Sharma is leading a project to make this ancient industry cleaner and more energy efficient.

Eco Rover:
It’s Hard to Pin Down Spencer Beebe

October 10, 2014 — In another man’s biography, Spencer Beebe’s backcountry exploits might warrant some celebrity. For Beebe ’74 M.F.S., they warrant footnotes.

Louisa Willcox: ‘Wilderness Wanderer’
Bridges Science and Advocacy in U.S. West

October 10, 2014 — Louisa Willcox ’84 M.F.S. never imagined that she would make a career out of conservation advocacy. But she's spent more than three decades protecting the wild lands of the western U.S.

Gary Machlis: A Career
Defined by Crossing Boundaries

October 10, 2014 — While most researchers spend their lives honing in on their academic niche, Gary Machlis ’79 Ph.D. has spent his working in an array of disparate fields.

Tom Siccama, Field Naturalist Who
Inspired Generations at F&ES, Dies at 78

October 7, 2014 — Tom Siccama, 78, a revered professor of forest ecology whose field lessons in the forests and landscapes of New England were a defining part of life for generations of F&ES students — and, for many, life-changing events — died on Oct. 3 after a long illness.

‘A Constant Struggle to Survive’:
Learning from the Structure of Plants

August 27, 2014 — Throughout his career, Prof. Craig Brodersen has explored the fundamental relationships between plant structure and function, and how different species have adapted to utilize limited resources.

Getting to the Roots of Humankind’s
Relationship With the Natural World

August 27, 2014 — While many frame the debate over environmental conflict in terms of economics or natural science, Prof. Justin Farrell believes it often reflects much deeper cultural, moral, and spiritual questions. Exploring these questions has become his life’s work.

An Allegiance to the Tropics: New
Mentor, Researcher Takes Lead at TRI

August 26, 2014 — In an interview, Simon Queenborough, the new Musser Director of the Tropical Resources Institute (TRI), shares his thoughts on the greatest challenges facing the planet’s tropical areas, and how TRI can make a difference.

Sifting Through the ‘Noise’
To Assess Health of Tropical Forests

August 26, 2014 — Some of the things that made Prof. Liza Comita want to study tropical forests in the first place are the same things that can make it a rather daunting field of research. And they raised some of the questions she has been trying to answer during more than a decade as researcher and professor.

Conservation Through Cocktails

July 1, 2014 — Are you ready for a jujube and hawthorn martini? A new company created by a group of ethnobotanists, including Ashley DuVal ’10 M.E.Sc., thinks so.

Helping Ski Resort Communities
Face the Reality of Climate Change

April 29, 2014 — Growing up in California, Diana Madson spent much of her youth exploring the great mountains of the Sierra Nevada. At 19 she fell in love with skiing, which made her particularly attuned to the weather.

Remembering Jonah Adels

April 25, 2014 — During his time on campus Jonah Adels was often found sitting at the warbly piano in Sage Hall, filling the stairway and halls with his music.

In DEEP: Building a Bridge
Between Science and Policy

April 22, 2014 — By many measures, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) has enjoyed a remarkable transformation during the three-plus years since Robert Klee ’99 M.E.S. ’04 J.D. ’05 Ph.D. joined its top ranks.

Forester Hones Leadership
Skills You Can’t Learn From a Book

April 8, 2014 — By the time he arrived at F&ES, Terry Baker ’07 M.F. had already learned first-hand how the U.S. Forest Service works — and about the people who make it run. But he says his time at Yale helped make him a leader.

Healing Western Landscapes
From Conservation’s ‘Radical Center’

March 31, 2014 —

When she was an intern with the Quivira Coalition, Avery Anderson Sponholtz ’07 M.E.M. could tell the organization was practically obsessed multi-stakeholder collaboration. Now Quivira’s executive director, she understands the stakes as well as anyone.

What’s in the Air of Nepal?
Filling Gaps in Pollution Data

March 11, 2014 — As a graduate student, Anobha Gurung ’10 M.E.Sc. heard a lot about research into how air pollution is affecting human health worldwide, but found scant research in her Nepalese homeland. She is trying to change that.

High-Wire Science:
Blogging from the Forest Canopy

March 4, 2014 — In the forest canopy of the Panamanian rainforest, F&ES doctoral student Kevin McLean is documenting the “canopy highways” that tree-dwelling animals use to get around. His findings may help conservationists protect species that are rarely seen and can be nearly impossible to study.

Corn: A Love Story,
From Seed to Market

February 24, 2014 —

An encounter with Indian corn during a chestnut festival years ago forever shattered Anthony Boutard's notion of corn as “an industrial grain.” Boutard M.F. '89 now grows this nutritious and flavorful corn variety at his organic farm in northwestern Oregon.