A Climate Change with Matt Matern Climate Podcast

Dr. James Danoff-Burg is an international community-based conservationist focusing on the human dimensions of conservation. To this end, he is the Vice President of Conservation and Director of the IUCN Center for Species Survival Behavior Change, both at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, CA. He also helped found Helping Rhinos USA, is a Conservation Psychologist teacher at University of California San Diego, and a two-time Fulbright Specialist Alumnus in India and in South Africa.

Danoff-Burg helps conservation programs expand to enhance pro-environmental action and coexistence. Danoff-Burg is dedicated to finding creative science-based conservation and education solutions for conservation programs committed to improving and safeguarding our world. Integral to all of his efforts is his deep commitment to inspiring hope for the future. His 28 years of experience in strategic planning, evaluation, community-based conservation education, biodiversity research, curriculum creation, and public outreach have positioned him as a global leader in conservation, education, and strategy. He has advised conservation strategy in projects for the governments of countries as diverse as Cambodia, Mexico, Japan, the Dominican Republic, and India.

Dr. Danoff-Burg earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Kansas. He then accepted postdoctoral research positions at U. Vermont and at the American Museum of Natural History. Subsequently, he was a researcher and educator at Columbia University for 14 years, Director of the Conservation Education Division at the San Diego Zoo for 3 years, and a consultant for 3 years before joining The Living Desert. Dr. Danoff-Burg is fluent in Spanish, conversant in Portuguese, and has functional speaking abilities in German and French. The importance of inspiring hope for the future of conservation is a crucial step to conserve our rich natural world.