Saving Species with Science: 30 Years of Conservation Setbacks & Successes

A reception will follow the lecture from 5–6 p.m.

Most species on Earth are naturally rare—truly widespread, common species are, ironically, quite uncommon. Understanding and helping species persist is therefore already a bigger challenge than most people realize. Human activities have added new pressures, pushing many species closer to extinction, so many now need active management to survive. Furthermore, effective conservation isn’t just about understanding a species' biology; it also depends on management choices and political decisions that shape what’s possible and how scientific information is used.

Over his career, Professor Dan Doak (Environmental Studies) and his collaborators have worked with endangered species worldwide—from sea otters and spotted owls to gorgonian corals and alpine plants—asking a simple but urgent question: what can we do that will actually help species survive?

In this talk, Doak shares three stories showing how conservation science works in the real world, where ecological research meets human values, policies and tough choices. Through the California condor, a rare Rocky Mountain wildflower and the Island fox, he explores how our understanding of extinction risk has improved even as challenges facing wildlife mount.