Brett sampling invasive plants in the Sonoran Desert ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
What is it about CSP’s approach to conservation that allows you see today’s environmental problems from a new perspective?
---------------------------- "I believe that a focus on research and development will be essential if our relatively small community of conservationists is to be effective at anticipating and tackling the world's largest problems." Brett Dickson ---------------------------- |
In my opinion, the traditional venues for conducting conservation research can grind slowly and have cultures that can impede a proactive or creative perspective. University systems tend to emphasize publication and individual professional advancement, rather than the application of science to practice. Agencies tend to steer their science according to regulatory or policy mandates that are blown around by political winds. At CSP, we are not distracted by these forces and can instead focus on pursuing effective solutions to environmental problems and doing important conservation work. I expect CSP’s core emphases on application and innovation to propel conservation science in new ways. I believe that a focus on research and development will be essential if our relatively small community of conservationists is to be effective at anticipating and tackling the world’s largest problems.
You have said CSP’s business model was conceived with Smith Fellows and Society for Conservation Biology professional networks at its core. What about the Smith Fellows Program and SCB influenced CSP?
CSP emphasizes human ingenuity and cutting-edge technology as keys to solving environmental problems. What new technologies in conservation science are you excited about and which have you utilized to the greatest affect?
Counting trogans in Costa Rica ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Most of our projects rely fairly heavily on the use of remotely sensed data to, for example, understand large-scale patterns of environmental change or habitat use by species. Although the application of satellite imagery or GPS technology in conservation projects is not new, the integration of these data can present statistical or other technical challenges that we think we’re particularly good at untangling. We do this, in part, with a large number of processors, creative programming, and extensive knowledge of how best to draw on a wide range of possible data platforms. Our approaches seek to match the scale of an analysis to the scale of a process or problem. In this regard, we are excited by the potential of new, cheaper techniques for monitoring animal populations at high spatial and temporal resolutions. Collaborations with technology-based partners are inspiring some pretty cool applications. Stay tuned!
What skills does a successful conservation biologist need today that may not have been necessary 20-years ago?
Do you have any words of wisdom for newly minted conservation professionals looking to make an impact in the field?
Page: | 1 | | | 2 |