Douglas W. Smith

Senior Wildlife Biologist, Yellowstone National Park

Douglas W. Smith Ph.D. supervises the wolf, bird and elk programs – formerly three jobs now combined into one under Doug’s supervision. His original job was the Project Leader for the Yellowstone Wolf Project which involved the reintroduction and restoration of wolves to Yellowstone National Park. He helped establish this project and position. Doug received a B.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Idaho in 1985. While working toward this degree, he became involved with studies of wolves and moose on Isle Royale with Rolf Peterson, which led to long-term involvement (1979-1994) with this study. In 1998 he earned an M.S. degree in biology under Dr. Peterson at Michigan Technological University. He then moved to the University of Nevada, Reno where he received his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology in 1997 under Stephen H. Jenkins. He has published a wide variety of journal articles and book chapters on beavers, wolves, and birds and co-authored four popular books on wolves. He has participated in numerous documentaries about wolves for National Geographic and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and recently on CBS 60 Minutes as well as other media. Besides wolves, birds, elk, and beavers, he is an avid canoeist preferring to travel mostly in the remote regions of northern Canada with his wife Christine and their two sons Sawyer and Hawken.

Moderator: “Human-Caused Mortality Triggers Wolf Pack Instability: A Study from Five National U.S. Parks”

Panelist: “Three Wolves, Three Packs: Mother, Daughter and Grandmother – Film and Supporting Panel”