Living Labs

The Stone Center at UC Berkeley supports place-based “Living Labs” to develop and test new ways to connect academic research to real-world problems in partnership with communities. Through our Living Labs, we are addressing real-world problems on private, tribal, and public lands and waters.

Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab

The Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab (BYLL) is a hub for conservation research and action in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, blending applied science with policy expertise and community engagement to positively impact people and wildlife. We foster collaborations between government officials, agencies, private landowners, tribes, and scientists in the Greater Yellowstone area to improve our understanding of wildlife population dynamics and barriers to migration. Through BYLL, our mission is to deliver collaborative scientific research that informs conservation and management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, strengthening ecological connectivity, community partnerships, and public understanding.

Image of the Klamath River in California surrounded by wide banks and mountains

Image of a group of deer standing in a grassy field

Image of three researchers hiking in Wyoming

The Fence Inventory project tracks existing fence data across the Absaroka Front, which supports some of the longest migrations of elk, deer, and other hoofed mammals in the world. Thousands of miles of fences crisscross the area, restricting animal movements and sometimes even causing death when animals become entangled.

BYLL and the Absaroka Fence Initiative are working to improve this critical migration corridor. We developed a database and corresponding app that map fence data. Field crews are improving existing fences to reduce wildlife injury and death and removing fences no longer in use. Watch this video via Wyoming PBS to learn more.

Conservation easements protect lands from development and have enormous benefits for wildlife migration and conservation. Watch this short video from BYLL and Jackson Hole Land Trust on the benefits of or local landowners.

We share what we learn in the BYLL in peer-reviewed scientific publications, case studies, academic courses, educational convenings, policy recommendations, news articles, opinion pieces, and white papers. Some of our recent work includes:

Developing new tools to de-risk wildlife occupancy on private lands (Regan et al 2024)
Yellowstone Is Disappearing (New York Times op-ed)
How does land development affect migratory ungulates? (research brief)
Upper Shoshone Mule Deer Video Collaring Project (project update)

For the latest news and updates please visit the BYLL website.

New Living Labs

We plan to launch a second Living Lab in California in the near future! Check back soon for updates.

NOTE: Rausser College of Natural Resources is currently recovering from an incident that has affected various College and department websites. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore normal service. This temporary site offers some resources and contact information.

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