Dr. Bill Weber

Biography

Bill Weber has worked for more than 30 years in the field of international conservation, combining action to save wild lands and wildlife with a concern for local human needs. His initial interdisciplinary research in Rwanda led to the creation of a pioneering ecotourism program that serves as a widely cited model. As the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Africa Program, he created the Congo Basin Program, which helped establish more than twenty new protected areas and produced reliable data on forest elephant and great ape populations. Weber developed effective alliances with local communities, commercial timber companies, and non-traditional partners. As WCS North America Director, he focused on wildlife recovery, ecological connectivity, and community-based conservation in Alaska and the Adirondacks. He has authored dozens of articles on topics ranging from ecotourism to the cultural factors affecting conservation for species like gorillas, bison, and wolves. His critically acclaimed book, 'Kingdom Gorillas', co-authored with Dr. Amy Vedder, has been featured by BBC Wildlife as one of the influential books of the past 40 years in wildlife publishing. Additionally, Weber serves as co-chair of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, advising conservation efforts. He is a past Bass Distinguished Environmental Scholar at Yale and co-teaches YSE conservation-in-practice seminars with Dr. Vedder, leading an annual conservation study tour in Rwanda.

Research Interests