He is the Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation in the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, a position first held by Aldo Leopold, and former Chair of the Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development Program in the UW’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

His long career as a conservation biologist has focused on ornithology, habitat fragmentation, and human/wildlife impacts.  In particular, he has made important contributions to the study and/or reintroduction of endangered species such as Peregrine Falcons, Whooping Cranes, Trumpeter Swans, and Andean Condors. He has authored over 330 publications including Wisconsin Birds: A Seasonal and Geographical Guide and Endangered Birds: Management techniques for preserving threatened species. He and his 75 graduate students worked on conservation problems in 21 different countries, and helped save some of the world's rarest and most threatened species.

Dr. Temple's service to the conservation community is extensive. He currently serves as Science Advisor and Senior Fellow for the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and is a leading expert and popular speaker on the life and work of Aldo Leopold. He has been Chairman of the Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and President of the international Society for Conservation Biology.  He has served as editor or on editorial boards for Ecological Applications, Conservation Biology, Forest Science, Bird Conservation (which he founded), and The Passenger Pigeon.

Dr. Temple has received numerous national and international awards for his diverse contributions to the field of conservation, including the international Chevron Conservation Award.  He is a Fellow of The American Ornithologists' Union, The Explorer's Club, the New York Zoological Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Published: Wednesday, April 04, 2012