Wayne S. Walker Ph.D.

Vice President of Science
Senior Scientist

I am an ecologist and remote sensing specialist with a life-long curiosity about how forests work, and a deep desire to see carbon cycle science translated into climate solutions. My research aims to identify where and how much carbon is stored in forests and how carbon stocks are changing due to land use and climate change.

As Chief Scientific Officer, I work with senior leadership to develop, promote, and implement the research-oriented components of Woodwell Climate’s strategic plan and mission. I work across the organization to ensure that Woodwell Climate’s scientific staff have the institutional support they need to realize the greatest possible impact through their research.

I use satellite, aircraft, and field data to map and monitor forest characteristics at local to global scales. I have been a major contributor to seminal studies assessing the climate change mitigation potential of natural climate solutions, including through strategies designed to restore, better manage, and protect the planet’s forest ecosystems.

My work has drawn attention to forest degradation and disturbance as under-recognized drivers of carbon loss, and highlighted the success and vulnerability of Indigenous land stewardship and protected areas in limiting those impacts. I am committed to building institutional capacity among partners in the tools and techniques used to measure and monitor forests, working in collaboration with governments, NGOs, and Indigenous communities across the tropics. I am motivated to put forest carbon monitoring systems to work to increase participation and improve outcomes of carbon markets globally.

While my work draws heavily on remote sensing, I have worked in forests around the world and count the Sierra Nevada among my favorite field sites. I love hiking among big, old trees, and I am a fan of gardening, kayaking, dachshunds, and Big Ten football.

“We can’t measure every tree in every forest, yet anything less than that is going to result in uncertainty. We are working to reduce that uncertainty, so that we can provide decision makers with the best available data for implementing on-the-ground solutions.”