News

UC Berkeley Launches New Center Focused on Environmental Stewardship

September 5, 2024
By: UC Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources
A landscape photo of a green valley and mountains with a blue sky
The view looking south from the top of Heart Mountain toward Cody, Wyoming, where the Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab centers its work. Photo by Kristin Barker.

A new UC Berkeley research center will advance large-scale nature conservation and restoration in the United States through community-engaged research, training, outreach, and policy. 

The Stone Center for Environmental Stewardship aims to increase the pace, scale, equity, and durability of large-scale conservation by leveraging Berkeley’s interdisciplinary research capabilities, leadership in environmental problem-solving, and ability to connect with local partners and policymakers. 

Established last fall with a five-year, $2.5 million gift from the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation, the Center is led by a team of campus experts in wildlife, parks, protected areas, environmental policy, and data science who are engaging with a broader network of aligned faculty at Berkeley and partner institutions.

Inaugural faculty co-directors of the Stone Center are Professors Arthur Middleton and Stephanie Carlson of the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. 

“We see a future where critical ecosystems across the U.S. benefit from vibrant conservation initiatives that are grounded in alliances between local communities, scientists, and policy-makers,” said Carlson, who is the A.S. Leopold Chair in Wildlife Biology. “As a result, these ecosystems can continue to protect biodiversity, store carbon, and support thriving communities.”

“As academics, it’s too often that we develop research questions on campus, then take them out to someone else’s community to find answers,” said Middleton, who is the George R. and Wilhelmina M. Goertz Distinguished Professor in Wildlife Management “Instead we want to learn what questions and challenges our community partners have encountered, and use our research abilities and our relationships to find answers. 

An innovative aspect of the Center is to create Living Labs in specific locations. Unlike traditional laboratories, living labs focus on applied research and experimentation in natural settings, allowing stakeholders to be directly involved in the innovation process. The first of these for UC Berkeley is the Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab, which brings together partners to study and share the story of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s wildlife, lands, and people. Led by a team from UC Berkeley and the University of Wyoming, the Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab focuses on understanding socio-ecological aspects of conservation across private, federal, and tribal lands; investigating the drivers of ecosystem health and population dynamics; evaluating barriers to landscape connectivity, including residential development and fences; and assessing the outcomes of conservation actions. The Center plans to launch a second Living Lab in Northern California in the coming year.

“The Center will foster initiatives that draw on local pride and knowledge, create diverse and resilient relationships, and promote an interdisciplinary approach to conservation,” said Middleton, who also currently serves as Senior Advisor for Wildlife Conservation at the US Department of Agriculture.

A composite image featuring a group of people outdoors walking on a mountain path, and a photo of a woman in a black shirt standing on a wooden bridge.
From Left: Field technicians Allison Stoff, Jaden Brutsman, Hayden Campbell, and Tristen Fleming map and measure a fence in an elk migration corridor along the Absaroka Front. Data will be used by Beyond Yellowstone partners to improve habitat connectivity by modifying and removing fences that impede wildlife movement. Stone Center Executive Director Madhavi Colton. Photos by Kristin Barker and Mathew Burciaga.

Dr. Madhavi Colton has been appointed the Center’s executive director, leading day-to-day operations and partnering with faculty leaders on connecting Berkeley science to communities and policy. Colton is recognized for her ability to bridge scientific research and practical conservation efforts, as well as her commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive teams. She brings over two decades of experience in conservation, scientific research, and organizational leadership to the role, and most recently served as Vice President and Executive Director of Audubon California. At Audubon, she spearheaded initiatives to improve California's resilience to climate change through education, community outreach, policy, and habitat conservation.

"I am honored to join the Stone Center at this critical time for conservation," said Colton. "I look forward to working with the talented UC Berkeley team and our partners to develop and implement durable and equitable large-scale conservation actions that benefit both ecosystems and local communities."

In its first few years, the Center will cultivate collaborative partnerships in association with its Living Labs, advance innovative science-based conservation solutions, support postdoctoral and graduate student fellowships, engage the broader academic community through lectures and workshops, and advance conservation policy at multiple scales. The Center is working closely with UC Berkeley’s Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity and the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science and the Environment.