Dr. Rosemary Claire Collard

Biography

I am an economic geographer and political ecologist studying the political economy of environmental change. My research specifically aims to identify the political economic drivers of extinction and loss in wild animal abundance. I explore proximal causes of trends such as land-use change, which leads to habitat loss and overexploitation. I seek to develop deeper explanations of these issues by studying the colonial capitalist structures that impact wild animal over-exploitation and habitat loss. My research addresses questions regarding the regulatory structures surrounding property, markets, commodity chains, and financial flows, as well as the decision-making processes involved in environmental assessment. I also examine the ways value and power are generated and distributed within these structures. My ongoing research projects include extractive development on Indigenous land, endangered species such as the woodland caribou in Canada, and the global live wildlife trade. I combine primary field research with critical theory, particularly feminist postcolonial political economy, environmental justice, and animal studies.

Research Interests