An Interview with Josh Donlan of Shifting Baselines

i-c5008e64837a94fa32910ecb3d398fbf-josh-250.jpgFans of Jennifer Jacquet's and Randy Olson's maritime musings over at Shifting Baselines will be glad to know that they have recently added a new co-blogger to the mix. Josh Donlan shares their passion for conservation but brings his own unique terrestrial approach.

Josh sent us his answers the day after he rolled his truck, so his answers are, understandably, on the shorter side.

What's your name?
Josh Donlan

What do you do when you're not blogging?
I am a conservation scientist with Cornell University and director of the NGO Advanced Conservation Strategies.

(More below the fold...)

What is your blog called?
Shifting Baselines

What's up with that name?
Find out at http://scienceblogs.com/shiftingbaselines

How long have you been blogging, anyway?
1 day

Where do you live?
I was born in Virginia, spend a fair bit of time in Tasmania, Australia and South America, and am currently based in the Teton Mountains in Driggs, Idaho.

Would you describe yourself as a working scientist?
Yes

Any education experiences or degrees you'd like to mention?
I have a BS from Northern Arizona University, an MA from University of California Santa Cruz, and a PhD from Cornell University.

What are your main academic interests, in or out of your field?
Biodiversity Conservation, Ecology, Behavioral Economics, Economics

Last book you read?
At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiessen and The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

What is your idea of a perfect day?
At 10,000 feet in the Teton Mountains, sunny, 30 degrees, and 20 inches of fresh snow. My idea of a worse day happened yesterday: spilled a cappuccino on my computer in the morning and rolled (and totaled) my truck in the evening.

What's your greatest habitual annoyance?
People that are habitually annoyed

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
Any dirtbag environmentalist

Your favorite heroes in real life?
Jesse Perry, handyman, Flagstaff, Arizona

What's your most marked characteristic?
Spontaneity

What's your fatal flaw?
Spontaneity

Who are your favorite writers?
Matthiesen, Steinbeck, Carl Hiassen

What would you like to be?
Better at yoga

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