Speaker: Dr. Diego Ellis Soto, University of California, Berkeley
This talk will explore how biodiversity knowledge is shaped by the human systems that produce it. Drawing on his research in environmental data science, urban ecology, and movement ecology, Ellis Soto examines the “human fingerprints” embedded in biodiversity datasets, including where species are recorded, who contributes data, and how social, economic, and political histories influence conservation decisions. Building on his work examining wildlife responses to COVID-19 lockdowns, Ellis Soto introduces a vision for a more dynamic understanding of the human fingerprint—one that integrates urban planning, transportation studies, and emerging conservation technologies.
He shows how movement ecology can be linked with urban ecology and technological innovation to better understand how animals navigate rapidly changing human-dominated landscapes. Finally, the talk discusses how conservation science can reconnect people with nature by involving local communities and youth in biodiversity observation, including recording bird calls and translating ecological data into music. Together, this work points toward a more interdisciplinary conservation science shaped by people, place, technology, and history.