WWF’s Becky Chaplin-Kramer on how science aids conservation

Field lessons

I’ve traveled all over the world for my job, and one of the most remarkable places I’ve visited was the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. From a satellite, it looks like this huge patch of beige, but when you arrive, it’s hauntingly beautiful—even lush in pockets—and full of wildlife you’d never expect. Drylands like this, essential to both biodiversity and people, receive little attention in conservation. We shouldn’t take them for granted.

Shades between

As a young person, I was drawn to ecology—the study of the planet’s life and all its interactions—but was disappointed that all it seemed to do was tally the damage humans were causing. Luckily, I realized that ecology can be as powerful in fixing problems as in finding them. By understanding how and where nature supports people’s health, security, and prosperity, we can construct new ways of living in harmony with nature. This discovery was a turning point for me.

Quest for discovery

Being a scientist means starting with a question, making your best guess at the answer, and testing it against evidence. At WWF, I lead science that shows whether our efforts are benefiting biodiversity and people—and how we can do better.

Recently, for instance, we tested a global ecosystem health indicator in East Africa to see if it could distinguish intact from degraded grasslands. It couldn’t, which told us we needed stronger indicators, and that’s what we’re developing now. Every result sharpens the next question. My role is to ensure those insights reach WWF teams worldwide so our collective work rests on the best science.

The science of prediction

Today, we have access to more data than ever from camera traps, satellites, and remote sensors, and we must turn that flood of information into models that can guide decisions. That might sound like heavy science, but predictive models are actually common. When you go out, do you grab an umbrella based on the weather report? That’s a model in action. The same idea applies to our work—we’re often using data to understand and predict threats and potential responses across landscapes and seascapes.

Wildlife web

Conservation often requires a broader view, even when you have narrow goals, like saving one species. Many people love certain species because they’re awe-inspiring or cute—but there are so many that are overlooked.

Take wasps. Many people fear them, but without them, pests would be harder to control. Every species plays an important role in an ecosystem. To be successful, conservation must embrace the fact that nature is a web and tugging on one strand affects the whole system.