Trends in Human Dimensions of Wildlife at Cornell University: 50 Years and Counting

The human dimensions of wildlife (HDW) program at Cornell University has contributed to the development of the HDW field for approximately 50 years. In this essay, faculty and staff of the Cornell Center for Conservation Social Sciences (formerly known as Human Dimensions Research Unit) reflect on how their HDW work has evolved, primarily describing their experience in terms of two trends: broadening perspectives about who are stakeholders requiring attention in wildlife management and greater stakeholder involvement in decision-making. The authors conclude that HDW science and practice is securely embedded in wildlife management, but to sustain that position it should address certain challenges (resistance to change, dynamics of human-wildlife coexistence, environmental justice, methodological malaise, communication technology) and seize important opportunities (social-ecological systems perspective, public trust thinking and good governance).