Environmental Science, Policy, & Management (ESPM) - UC Berkeley

The trees that beautify California landscapes and provide food, shade and many other benefits are under attack by fungi that are increasingly causing trees to decline and die, according to a new study led by Cooperative Extension professor Matteo Garbelotto and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists.

“This paper is kind of a turning point in our understanding of major drivers responsible for changing our landscape as climate changes,” said Garbelotto, a forest pathology specialist.

Read more about the study:

Climate, diseases driving death of several tree species in multiple California regions | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources UC ANR research shows fungi are increasingly causing trees to decline and die. Scientists found 10 woody plant species in six regions had succumbed to infections.

Thank you to the California Natural Resources Agency for joining the recent Urban Biodiversity Roundtable with Berkeley Wildlife & the Stone Center for Environmental Stewardship! We explored how urban biodiversity can contribute to the state’s conservation goals. Special thanks to the scientists, policymakers, and leaders in conservation and education from across the state who contributed their expertise to the discussion.

�: CNRA Deputy Secretary of Biodiversity and Habitat Meghan Hertel (left) and ESPM professor Chris Schell (right).

Congratulations to Charlie Kortleven, Neel Bajaria, Alexandra Boren, and Nikita Bahadur on receiving the 2025 Kenneth L. Babcock Prize in Environmental Science.

Established in 1995 in memory of former UC Berkeley professor of soil chemistry Kenneth L. Babcock, the award recognizes exceptional academic achievement by graduating seniors in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.

Four seniors named winners of the 2025 Babcock Prize in Environmental Science Endowed as a tribute to longtime soil chemistry professor Kenneth Babcock, the prize recognizes high-achieving ESPM undergraduates.

ESPM's 2025 Graduate Research Symposium is happening on Wednesday, May 7th starting at 12:00pm! Join us in 311 Wellman Hall on campus or tune into the livestream on our department YouTube channel. More info and RSVP here: https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/graduatesymposium/

Mapping the return of Indigenous lands using data science | CDSS at UC Berkeley McKalee Steen traces her career in data science to her family's efforts toward environmental justice when the creek running through their farm in northeastern Oklahoma had been polluted by a chicken processing plant and was contaminating their well water. Her community fought to hold the company acc...

Will green factory farms or sustainable agriculture guide our food systems of the future? Find out Thursday 4/17 at 5pm when Berkeley Food Institute agroecologist Dr. Tim Bowles and best-selling author Michael Grunwald will reveal their contrasting visions for agriculture. The conversation will be moderated by Kim Severson, NYT correspondent. RSVP today: https://bit.ly/agroecologyfactory

Shine a light for ESPM by making a gift to the ESPM Graduate Student Support Fund before 9 p.m. tonight as part of . Every gift, no matter the size, helps ESPM students and faculty lead the fight for environmental justice and develop sustainable solutions for the future of our planet.
https://givingday.berkeley.edu/giving-day/90821/department/91254

Please join us Friday at UC Davis or online for "The University of California Land Grab: Accounting for the Past and Actions Towards Justice"
http://bit.ly/RLGU-registration
with Native American Student Development at Cal

Congratulations to Professor Lynn Huntsinger for receiving the California Cattlemen's Association's 2025 Gordon K. Van Vleck Memorial Award.

The award honors individuals who are not engaged in beef cattle production as a primary occupation but have made significant contributions to California’s beef cattle industry and demonstrated enduring leadership for the industry.

Lynn Huntsinger honored by the California Cattlemen's Association The ESPM professor was awarded the 2025 Gordon K. Van Vleck Memorial Award at the California Cattlemen's Convention.

Watch Professor Stephanie Pau break down the science of biogeography in 101 seconds. Her lab combines satellite and remote sensing data to study how the Earth’s distribution of species and ecosystems is shifting under climate change.

“Humans are changing the Earth in really rapid and dramatic ways,” she says. “These satellites are really one of our only tools that can give us a view across a large landscape and help us understand changes over time.”

This scientist uses satellites to map the Earth's plant life — and help combat climate change - Berkeley News Watch UC Berkeley professor Stephanie Pau explain the science behind biogeography in 101 seconds.

California Wolf Project will advance science and management of gray wolves The Berkeley Wildlife program and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have launched the collaborative research initiative to understand the ecology and wolf-human interactions of the recolonizing wolf population in California.

A new study by recent ESPM alum Emma Steigerwald shows that very small protected areas, often termed ‘microreserves,” can be critically important tools for the protection of amphibians. Since many amphibians have small ranges that do not necessarily overlap with important areas for the conservation of other groups of animals, small, targeted protected areas may often be required to ensure their protection.

Small protected areas can have big impact for amphibians As governments across the world work to expand protected areas in accordance with international agreements, the value of even the smallest protected areas can’t be discounted for their importance in conservation.