Gretchen Daily’s work spans scientific research, teaching, public education and working with leaders to advance practical approaches to environmental challenges. Daily’s scientific research is on countryside biogeography and the future dynamics of biodiversity change; on the scope for harmonizing biodiversity conservation and agriculture; on quantifying the production and value of ecosystem services across landscapes; and on new policy and finance mechanisms for integrating conservation and human development in major decisions. 

 

Daily co-founded the Natural Capital Project, an international effort focused on achieving this integration through research, practical tools, and policy-oriented demonstrations in contrasting places around the world. She works extensively with private landowners, economists, lawyers, business people, and government agencies to incorporate environmental issues into business practice and public policy. 

 

Daily received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University.  She is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and serves on the boards of the Stockholm Resilience Center and The Nature Conservancy.  She has published ~200 scientific and popular articles and her most recent books are The New Economy of Nature:  The Quest to Make Conservation Profitable, with journalist Katherine Ellison, and Natural Capital: Theory and Practice of Mapping Ecosystem Services, co-edited with several colleagues.