ABOUT JOEL

PREAMBLE
ABOUT JOEL
DEI
VIDEOS
BOOKS
ACHIEVEMENTS
COMIC BOOK
EDITORIAL
RECENT COLUMNS

PREAMBLE

What is Life?

In 1890, Crowfoot, a Lakota Sioux, answered: “It is the flash of a firefly… it is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.  It is the shadow which runs across grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

For me, the answer – a blend of beauty, fascination, and the denizens of our living planet. For me, it’s all about biocultural ancestry, respect and bettering the world for the voiceless.

For me, the two central tenets in conservation are – maintain what we have and restore what we’ve lost. These beliefs are my inspiration.  Yet, the sheer crush of humanity and our callousness is frightening.  As I search for my way forth, I’m driven to protect our planet’s spectacular diversity.  This means understanding systems and species, their challenges, and proffering solutions. While animals often have no true voices, people – whether marginalized in developing areas or by other situations – are often caught between different worlds.  Somewhere along this interface is where I work.

ABOUT JOEL BERGER

My fascination with biodiversity began in LA (California) where I grew up.  I traded body surfing for desert and mountain explorations, and melded that pursuit into serious science.  But, I also soon realized that if we did not do more than just science we’d not have species and important biological interactions from which to enhance our understanding of a diverse and brilliant planet.  I’ve concentrated on animals larger than a bread box – both iconic endangered species and those lesser known.  Among these have been black rhinos and wild yaks, Patagonia’s huemul, and saiga in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.  Although I’ve targeted extreme spots – described in my Geographical pursuits – including the edges of the planet, I ask questions about climate and environmental change, migration and connectivity, and, most recently, how our burgeoning passion for play and our travel footprints affect species at a local scale.  In my soul, I know the important issue is how to engage science at levels that not only inform but improve visibility and result in change. 

RESPECT & INCLUSIVITY

​Reverence is needed for success, yet society spins in so many directions achievement is often near-impossible, especially for those disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control.  I work in small ways – step to step – to address such challenges by opportunity, both within the USA and the developing world.  Current efforts involve work with indigenous Americans to assist in their wildlife programs, some of which has included preparation of press releases. I have sponsored biotechnicians and graduate students (international and national) in research and outreach to help net conservation victories. And, I advocate for women in science and try to move the needle toward conservation action.

 

A few examples of my efforts to promote DEI:

Jamie Begay capturing domestic sheep on the Navajo Reservation.

A wild male yak charges herders in northwestern Nepal as they attempt to protect domestic female yaks.

AWARD VIDEOS

BOOKS

Berger, J. 2008. The Better to Eat You with: Fear in the Animal World. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.

Berger, J. and C. Cunningham. 1994. Bison: Mating and Conservation in Small Populations. Columbia University Press, New York.

Berger, J. 2018. Extreme Conservation: Life at the Edges of the World. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.

Cunningham, C. & J. Berger. 1997. Horn of Darkness: Rhinos on the Edge. Oxford University Press, New York.

Ray, J., K. H. Redford, R. Steneck, and J. Berger. (eds.) 2005. Large Carnivores and Conservation of Biodiversity. Island Press. Covello, CA.

Berger J. 1986. Wild Horses of the Great Basin: Social Competition and Population Size. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

RECOGNITION & ACHIEVEMENTS

Inaugural Everest Address on Climate & Wildlife – World’s Highest Climate Summit; at Everest Base Camp – (2022)

Life-time Achievement Award – Institute for Parks; from Clemson University (2021)

Life-time Achievement Award – Award for Conservation Excellence Finalist –  Banovich Wildscapes Foundation – (2018)

Life-time Achievement Finalist  – Indianapolis Prize –  (2018)

Life-time Achievement Finalist  – Indianapolis Prize –  (2016)

Life-time Achievement Finalist – Indianapolis Prize –  (2014)

Denver Zoological Society – Conservation Biology Award – (2014)

Life-time Achievement Award – Aldo Leopold Conservation Award; American Society of Mammalogists (2013)

Life-time Achievement Award – LaRue III Award; Society of Conservation Biology – awarded in Beijing, China (2009)

Inducted Fellow (elected); American Association for Advancement of Sciences (1996)

Harry Frank Guggenheim Fellowship – annual (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984)

Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellowship – National Zoo’s Conservation & Research Center (1978-79)

COMIC BOOK SERIES

 

A Special Biologist that Saves Species – Joel Berger Featured

EDITORIAL BOARDS

Conservation Biology. 1994 – to present (longest standing Associate Editor in Society of Conservation Biology history)

Mammal Study. 2014-2018. (The Mammal Society of Japan) 

Wildlife Biology. 2001- 2007. (Nordic Council for Wildlife Research & French Biodiversity Agency) 

Animal Conservation. 1998-2000. (Zoological Society of London)

OTHER EDITORIAL WORK

Animal Conservation, Biological Conservation, Ecological Society of America (Ecology; Ecological Applications); American Society of Mammalogists (Journal); American Society of Naturalists (American Naturalist); Marine Mammal Sciences, Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie (Ethology); Paleobiology; Animal Behavior Society (Animal Behavior); The Range Society (Journal of Range Management); Southwestern Society of Naturalists (Southwestern Naturalist); Transactions for Desert Bighorn Sheep; Canadian Journal of Zoology,  Northwest American Naturalist, Journal of Wildlife Management; Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology; American Midland Naturalist; Behavioral Ecology; Quarterly Review of Biology; Science, Ethology, Ecology, and Evolution, Acta Theriologica; Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Science, Nature.