About the Author
Richard Schneider’s career as a conservation biologist has evolved at the interface between
conservation science and conservation policy. His professional training began at the University
of Saskatchewan, where he obtained a BSc in biology, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
In 1992, he obtained a PhD at the University of Guelph, studying wildlife epidemiology. This was
followed by a postdoc at the University of Alberta that focused on the interaction between wolves,
bison, and disease in northern Canada.
In the early stages of his career, Richard worked as a biological consultant, supporting government
and industry conservation initiatives in different parts of Canada. The various species he worked
on included martens in Newfoundland, Ontario, and Alaska; black-tailed prairie dogs in Saskatchewan;
and burrowing owls, fishers, and caribou in Alberta.
In the early 2000s, Richard served as executive director for the northern Alberta chapter of the
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. In this capacity, he became heavily involved in provincial
land-use policy and planning, including the development of the Alberta Landuse Framework. He also
led a campaign for the establishment of new protected areas in northeastern Alberta.
Since 2006, Richard has been a senior scientist with the Integrated Landscape Management Lab—now
the Alberta Biodiversity Conservation Chair—at the University of Alberta. In this capacity, he
has conducted applied research on industrial cumulative effects, the selection of protected areas
in northern Alberta, and the recovery of woodland caribou. In recent years, his research has focused
on the ecological effects of climate change and methods for climate adaptation. Richard has published
numerous
peer-reviewed papers
as well as many lay publications and a book on ecosystem-based forest management.