Studying wild mammals
in wild places

Joanna Lambert is a scientist and professor of wildlife ecology and conservation biology at the University of Colorado – Boulder. The work in Joanna’s lab is informed by both a sense of urgency and optimism and addresses questions related to how wild animals are making a living in our human-dominated planet and how we can create solutions for coexistence. Why do some species (such as coyotes and baboons) do well while others (such as wolves and chimpanzees) succumb to anthropogenic pressures? Are the Anthropocene “winners” coping because of learned behavior, habituation, and/or rapid evolution? What are the mechanisms that facilitate life in systems with altered food webs? What can be done now to rewild our world and curb the biodiversity extinction crisis? Joanna and her students explore these questions and more in both wild and not-so-wild places.