Michael Klemens

Michael W. Klemens received his doctorate in conservation biology and ecology at the University of Kent UK. Dr. Klemens is a Senior Conservationist with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and has been on the staff of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) since 1979. His career is founded on over two decades of herpetological research in the United States and Africa. This research has led Dr. Klemens to the conclusion that in order to bring about tangible conservation results, scientific research cannot be conducted in a vacuum. Based on this conclusion, Dr. Klemens founded the Metropolitan Conservation Alliance (MCA), a program of WCS, in 1997 to bridge the gap between conservation science and land use planning processes. Through MCA, he has translated biological data and conservation concepts into planning tools that achieve better conservation at local and regional scales. Dr. Klemens has also authored numerous publications pertaining to the distribution and conservation of herpetofauna. He strongly advocates that scientists have a responsibility to actively engage in conservation efforts. In this regard, he served as Chair of the Planning Commission in Rye, NY for over a decade and continues to serve on numerous local, regional, and national steering committees and technical advisory boards.