Erin Wessling

Behavioral Ecologist and Conservationist

Ecology-Driven Anthropology, Conservation-Driven Impact

What I'm About

I am dedicated to advancing our understanding of Pan behavioral ecology by prioritizing ecological perspectives and comparative approaches, all the while translating scientific discovery into impactful, evidence-based conservation policy and practice.

I spearhead several major initiatives, including two cornerstone field research platforms—the BonDiv Project, focusing on bonobo behavioral ecology and conservation across the Congo Basin, and the Moyen-Bafing Chimpanzee Project in Guinea, studying chimpanzees leaving in an arid savanna-mosaic landscape. I am leading the Western Chimpanzee Conservation Regional Alliance, chairing the Working Group on Chimpanzee Cultures, and co-chairing the IUCN’s new joint-commission taskforce dedicated to the conservation of animal cultures.

You can learn more about all of these projects and more here on my website.