Welcome !

My name is Cécile VANPÉ.

I am A researcher 

in wildlife ecology & conservation.

I am currently a large carnivore project leader at

 the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB), 

in the Department of Research and Scientific Support (DRAS), 

in the Team dedicated on Conservation and Management of Species at Stake (SEE). 

Here are my 

Contact details 

For a short bibliography :

Bibliography 

I am currently conducting research projects on 

the ecology, genetics, dynamics, behaviours and conservation of 

the Pyrenean brown bear population.

My research interests 

encompass more globally the ecology, behaviour, genetics, dynamics and evolution

of wild populations of vertebrates.

For more than 25 years now, I have been working 

on a range of Mammal and seabird taxa 

in a wide diversity of ecosystems.

I aim at providing management authorities with scientifically based knowledge 

to meet the challenges facing vertebrate populations, 

in the context of global changes and biodiversity crisis.

My wish is to use my professional and personal skills to help conserve biodiversity 

and promote coexistence between human and wildlife.  

On this website, you will find information 

on my current and past and Research projects: 

Study species

Study sites

Disciplines

Non-invasive population sampling

Species coexistence

Behavioural variations, adaptation & evolution

Genetic diversity

Responses to landscape changes

Ecological role

For more details on my Curriculum Vitae:

education, professional experiences, technical skills, publications, communications, 

funding, supervision, administrative duties & references.

Download my detailed CV in French here.

"Ecology is about caring for all living beings.

The ocean, the forests, the birds, the insects, but also humans.

All humans.

Those who were raped and massacred on October 7.

Those held hostage by Hamas.

The 13,000 children and 44,000 Palestinians murdered by the Israeli army.

Hundreds of thousands of people are dying of hunger in Gaza.

Victims from Sudan, the Congo, Ukraine..."

(Cyril Dion)

As a researcher in ecology and biodiversity conservation, Cyril Dion's words speak to me so deeply...

For me, caring for bears, biodiversity, ecosystems, and the planet is inseparable from caring for and caring for humanity...

Protecting life in all its forms...

Promoting diversity, whether natural or cultural...

Fighting against violence, indifference, barbarism, injustice, and the exploitation of the most vulnerable, both human and non-human...

Giving a voice to those who have none, to the invisible...

Recognizing our shared destiny with the human family and all living beings...

We are all interdependent, inhabitants of the same planet, crew of the same ship...

We must stand together...

 I am deeply convinced about the interdependence among all life forms on Earth 

and about the priceless value of the diversity of life, 

comprising both biological diversity and cultural diversity, 

and the inextricable link between them 

(biocultural diversity).

Things do not exist as isolated entities but subsume a multitude of natural and social relationships. 

It is only when we are able to look at them as belonging to their broader relational framework 

that multiple layers of meaning, such as natural, symbolic, and sociocultural, can be discovered; 

meanings that cannot be reduced to use value, to technical or logical terms.

" All living and non‐living elements are interdependent and interlinked in a vast cosmic “mesh”, 

consisting of “infinite connections and infinitesimal differences.” 

(Morton 2010)

" To survive in an increasingly ruptured and contaminated planet, 

it is essential to rediscover and recompose the “kinships” between all the “earthlings".” 

(Haraway 2016)

The past decades have seen a rise of interest in biological and cultural dimensions of diversity; 

the interactions between them; their connection to social and economic development; 

as well as their role in building resilience against natural and human induced change. 

This has resulted in increasing awareness of ‘inextricable links between biological and cultural diversity’, 

and the recognition of the crucial role that they plays in sustainable development 

and human well-being worldwide. 

A joint approach to promotion of diversity would strengthen the integration, interdependence 

and positive relationship between cultural and biological diversity. 

" Cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. "

(UNESCO 2001)

The worldviews of various local and indigenous communities often include the idea that nature and life are “gifts” and conceive human's relation with them in terms of a deep kinship and mutual belonging. 

Rather than experiencing and conceptualizing something called “nature” as separate from oneself, 

they perceive themselves to be part of the land and that the land is part of them. 

Indigenous people derive their subsistence and autonomy from nature, 

in turn taking care of it and contributing to its maintenance by reciprocity. 

Reciprocity thus arises from acknowledging the gift and learning how to give back to nature and the community. People can take from the Earth, but this should be part of a natural cycle of giving and receiving, 

in which rights and responsibilities are balanced and all elements of the natural and social world are involved, partaking in a genealogical network where no single member is permitted to dominate. 

Human beings should thus take the responsibility to maintain the overall order and protect the land; 

they should embrace the practice of guardianship (as expressed by the Māori concept of kaitiakitanga), that is, a moral obligation and essential to preserve the “gift”.

“ Reciprocity is a matter of keeping the gift from nature in motion 

through self‐perpetuating cycles of giving and receiving (…) 

Through reciprocity the gift is replenished. All of our flourishing is mutual. ” 

(Kimmerer 2013)

The ways in which societies, institutions and citizens relate to and value nature have played a key role 

in the interconnected biodiversity, climate change, natural resource and health crises we face. 

The reinstatement and renewal of patterns that connect would be pivotal to creating the conditions for changes.

We need a radical reconsideration of our relationship with nature and value systems. 

Understanding interdependence in the stronger sense would lead us to realize that: 

we are part of an order that we cannot merely create by ourselves; 

the functioning of the whole depends on the balanced interaction of all elements; 

and the development and welfare of each component, human societies included, cannot be enduring 

unless the conditions of overall welfare are upheld. 

An holistically understanding humans’ deep interconnection with other life forms and ecosystems 

could lead to new motivations to protect nature and accelerate the societal transformation we need 

to live well within the limits of the planet. 

All photos and figures are credited to Cécile Vanpé, unless otherwise indicated.

Last update: August 2023