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Sanjayan

Lead Scientist

M. Sanjayan is the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he specializes in human well-being and conservation, Africa, wildlife ecology and media outreach and public speaking on conservation issues.

In addition to being the Conservancy’s lead scientist, Sanjayan holds a doctorate from the University of California, Santa Cruz and has a research faculty appointment with the Wildlife Program at the University of Montana.  He was recently named science and environmental contributor for CBS News.

Read Sanjayan's Full Biography

Sanjayan's Latest

• Sanjayan is set to join James Cameron, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Alec Baldwin, Thomas Friedman and others in Showtime's upcoming documentary series, Years of Living Dangerously.
• In Orion Magazine, Sanjayan opines on "the art of climate communication."
• Qué Pasa dubs Sanjayan "el ecologista sonriente"-- the smiling ecologist. [in Spanish]
• Sanjayan offers his expert commentary in BBC Future's "Power of Nature" web series.
• On CBSNews.com, Sanjayan reveals an "unusual form" of pollution in India.
• What can President Obama do for the environment? In Men's Journal, Sanjayan suggests using the Farm Bill for land conservation.
• Sanjayan discusses the Conservancy's work in Africa in this Fast Company CoExist piece, "Linking Conservation And Development To Save Africa’s Largest Lake."
• What's it like to be a jet-setting scientist? Sanjayan reveals all in this New York Times story on his remarkable travel schedule.
• What is a species, really? Sanjayan explores the topic in Wired's "Attack of the Mutant Pupfish."
• Grist shares the story of Sanjayan's disturbing "suds tsunami" encounter.
• "Protect Land, Lift Poverty": Deseret News covers Sanjayan's keynote at the Land Trust Alliance's Rally 2012.
• Sanjayan talks to Canada's CBC News about the impacts of the Japanese tsunami on the US west coast.
• CBS News names Sanjayan as its new science and environmental contributor.
• The Huffington Post:  Keep up with Sanjayan's latest posts.
  
• "This Earth Day, Let's Focus on People": Environmentalists should make an effort to include human well-being in the conservation conversation, Sanjayan writes in this Christian Science Monitor op-ed.
• Nature's Guardian:  Sanjayan gives AFAR his top travel tips.
• A Conversation with M. Sanjayan, Nature Researcher and TV Host: The Atlantic asks--and Sanjayan answers-- 9 1/2 questions about his life and work.
• The Natural:  Outside profiles Sanjayan, and labels him a "surprising messenger" of the conservation movement.
• "Conservation for the 21st Century": Check out a video of Sanjayan's new talk
• A Storyteller Saving Nature -- with Corporate Help:  MinnPost.com's Don Shelby interviews the globetrotting scientist.
• The Optimistic Conservationist:  Sanjayan tells Minnesota Public Radio why conservation doesn't have to be about doom and gloom.
  
• Treehugger Radio: Listen as Sanjayan chats about alternative energy and the repercussions of the Gulf oil spill.
• Changing the Face of the Green Movement: Time profiles Sanjayan and his thoughts on diversity in conservation.
• Slow Economy = More Conservation? Sanjayan writes on the AC360° blog that an economic recovery could yield a greener future — but we have to plan for it. 
• 'Wild Life': Read about Sanjayan's Wild Life and join him in his adventures in conservation.

 

Publications

Sanjayan, M.A.. "Poverty and Ecosystem Services." (essay) In, The Atlas of Global Conservation: changes, challenges, and opportunities to make a difference, J. Molnar, editor. University of California Press; 2010.

Brodie, J.; Sanjayan, M.; Corea, R.; Helmy, O.; Amarasiri, C. Effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on Sea Turtle Populations in Sri Lanka. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 7(2): 249-251; 2008.

Sanjayan, M.A. "Does a slowing economy mean more conservation? Not necessarily…." Anderson Cooper CNN. 11 Dec. 2008.

Sanjayan, M.A. “Commentary: What unites James Bond and dead monkeys.” Planet in Peril CNN. 8 Dec. 2008.

Kauffman, M.J.; Sanjayan, M.; Lowenstein, J.; Nelson, A.; Jeo, R.M.; Crooks, K.R. Remote camera-trap methods and analyses reveal impacts of rangeland management on Namibian carnivore communities. Oryx 41(1): 70-78; 2007

Crooks, K.; Sanjayan, M., editors. Connectivity Conservation. Cambridge University Press; 2006.

Balmford, A.; Bennun, L.; ten Brink, B.; Cooper, D.; Côte, I.M.; Crane, P.; Dobson, A.; Dudley, N.; Dutton, I.; Green, R.E.; Gregory, R.D.; Harrison, J.; Kennedy, E.T.; Kremen, C.; Leader-Williams, N.; Lovejoy, T.E.; Mace, G.; May, R.; Mayaux, P.; Morling, P.; Phillips, J.; Redford, K.; Ricketts, T.H.; Rodríguez, J.P.;Sanjayan, M.; Schei, P.J.; van Jaarsveld, A.S.; Walther, B.A. The Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010 Target. Science 307: 212-213; 2005.

Redford, K.; Sanjayan, M.A. Retiring Cassandra. Conservation Biology 17(6): 1473-1474; 2003.

Sanjayan, M. A.; Crooks, K.R. Missing Linkages: Reconnecting a Fragmented Landscape. In, Nature in Fragments, Columbia University Press; 2002

Sanjayan, M.A.; Jeo, R.; Sizemore, D. A Conservation Area Design for the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Round River Conservation Studies, Salt Lake City, 1999.

Crooks, K.R.; Sanjayan, M.A.; Doak, D.F. New insights on cheetah conservation through demographic modeling. Conservation Biology 12 (4): 889-895; 1998.

Soulé, M.E.; Sanjayan, M.A. Conservation Targets: Do They Help? Science 279: 2060-2061; 1998.

Sanjayan, M.A.; Shen, S.; Jansen, M. Experience with Integrated-Conservation Development Projects in Asia. World Bank Technical Paper 388:1-41; 1997.

Sanjayan, M.A.; Crooks, K.R. Skin grafts and cheetahs. Nature 381: 566-566; 1996.

Sanjayan, M. A.; Crooks, K.R.; Zegers, G.; et al. Genetic variation and the immune response in natural populations of pocket gophers. Conservation Biology 10(6): 1519-1527; 1996.

Kremen, C.; Colwell, R.K.; Erwin, T. L.; Noss, R.; Sanjayan, M. Terrestrial arthropod assemblages: Their use in conservation planning. Conservation Biology 7(4): 796-808; 1993.

Read Sanjayan's Full Biography

Sanjayan

Lead Scientist

M. Sanjayan is the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he specializes in human well-being and conservation, Africa, wildlife ecology, and media outreach and public speaking on conservation issues.

Read Sanjayan's Full Biography

Sanjayan

Lead Scientist

M. Sanjayan is the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he specializes in human well-being and conservation, Africa, wildlife ecology, and media outreach and public speaking on conservation issues.

Read Sanjayan's Full Biography

Sanjayan's scientific work has been published in journals including Science, Nature, and Conservation Biology, and he co-edited the book Connectivity Conservation (Cambridge University Press, 2006). He frequently speaks at internationally recognized venues, including the World Forum on Sustainable Development, International Women’s Forum, and TED Global 2010. He is a Catto Fellow with the Aspen Institute.

Sanjayan’s work has received extensive print media coverage — from Vanity Fair to National Geographic Adventure, Outside to The New York Times. In 2007, he was named and featured as one of Men’s Journal's “Heroes of 2007.” He is a frequent guest on NBC’s Today Show and has appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

He has also co-hosted documentaries for the Discovery Channel (Mysteries of the Shark Coast, Expedition Alaska), BBC (Wildlife in a War-Zone), and was featured in National Geographic TV (Earth Report 2009). His four-part series on energy for Discovery Channel (Powering the Future) aired in July 2010.

In May 2012, CBS News named Sanjayan its science and environmental contributor.

Sanjayan will be featured in Showtime's upcoming documentary series, Years of Living Dangerously,  set to air in 2014.

When not at work, Sanjayan can be found either trekking in Africa or fly-fishing in Western Montana, where he tries to live.

Awards: Catto Fellow, Aspen Institute; Past Elected Governor Society for Conservation Biology