Esther Cole Adelsheim

Esther is an ecologist that uses applied science and adaptive management for environmental conservation. Her research interests include amphibian population biology and natural history, aquatic ecology, restoration ecology, and the ecology of human-modified ecosystems. Prior to her arrival at Stanford, Esther supported or lead field studies focused on wet prairie restoration in Oregon and forest regeneration in the Sierra Nevada, salmonid population monitoring in the Willamette River watershed, food web ecology of migrating sea birds in the Columbia River basin, restoration of mountain yellow-legged frog populations in the Sierra Nevada, and amphibian population monitoring in Ecuadorian cloud forests and the Klamath Mountains in Northern California.

Here at Stanford, the Conservation Program is responsible for the management of biological resources found across nearly 8200 acres owned by the university. Stanford lands are impacted by a large and growing human population through habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, and invasive species. The role of the Stanford Conservation Program is to help answer the question, "How can we accommodate the needs of a thriving human community while also meeting our responsibility to protect and preserve the species and ecosystems that also occupy the lands owned by Stanford?" Esther's pursuit of the answers to this hard question involves the implementation of Stanford's Habitat Conservation Plan, land use planning, cooperative endeavors with local environmental groups, and collaboration with the academic community through research and teaching. For more information about Esther, see her CV for a list of publications, courses taught, and previous projects.

If you are interested in collaborative endeavors in support of environmental conservation in the San Francisco Bay area, please feel free to contact Esther or other members of the Stanford Conservation Program!