I am a conservation biologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Victoria, Canada, within the Applied Conservation Science Lab. I work within the fields of behavioural ecology, large carnivore conservation, and conservation technology. I conduct academic research, as well as applied conservation research and monitoring.
I also serve as co-director and conservation scientist for the BearID Project, a not-for-profit research organisation developing non-invasive technologies for bears and other wildlife.
From and academic perspective, I am interested in the evolutionary underpinnings of social behaviour in solitary mammals and its influence on reproduction, spatial movements, and risk avoidance. From an applied conservation perspective, I am interested in the impacts of human activity on wildlife, including nature-based tourism and development. This research is conducted collaboratively with other scientists, First Nations partners, and the ecotourism industry.
Melanie Clapham, Ph.D. 