Gretchen Daily is a globally renowned scholar and Bing Professor of Environmental Science in the Department of Biology at Stanford University, where she demonstrates exceptional leadership in interdisciplinary environmental research. She serves as Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Director of the Center for Conservation Biology, holding influential positions that bridge academic rigor with practical application. Daily received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, establishing the foundation for her decades-long career dedicated to advancing environmental science. She co-founded and serves as Faculty Director of the Stanford Natural Capital Project, a global partnership that has become instrumental in developing systematic approaches to valuing nature's contributions to human well-being across diverse landscapes and communities.
Daily pioneered the field of countryside biogeography, fundamentally advancing our understanding of how human-dominated ecosystems can maintain biodiversity and deliver essential ecosystem services critical to human prosperity. Her influential book "Nature's Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems" (1997) helped establish the conceptual framework for ecosystem services valuation that has since transformed conservation practice worldwide. As leader of The Natural Capital Project, she has developed innovative tools and approaches that are now deployed in policy, finance, and conservation practice in more than 75 countries, with supporting tools used globally in over 185 countries. Daily's research spans fundamental scientific inquiry and pragmatic application, addressing critical questions about harmonizing biodiversity conservation with agricultural practices and developing new policy mechanisms that align economic forces with environmental sustainability.
With election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2005), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003), and the American Philosophical Society (2008), Daily has received numerous prestigious international honors including the Blue Planet Prize (2017), the Volvo Environment Prize (2012), and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2020). She has worked extensively with private landowners, economists, business leaders, and government agencies to integrate environmental considerations into economic decision-making and public policy across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania. Daily continues to lead groundbreaking work through the Natural Capital Project, co-developing practical approaches that help secure the well-being of people and nature amidst intensifying global environmental challenges. Her ongoing research focuses on quantifying the production and value of ecosystem services across landscapes and developing inclusive green development pathways that harmonize human prosperity with ecological integrity for future generations.
