Principal Investigator
Dr. Sarah Castle
Assistant Professor, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Ph.D. Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
M.Sc. Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
I am an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist focused on nature-based solutions and understanding the social-ecological dynamics that shape the success of conservation and development actions. My research focuses on forests and agroforestry systems to advance knowledge of their contributions to climate change, sustainable livelihoods, and conservation. My research is fundamentally driven by the question how can we support the expansion of climate smart agricultural and forestry practices in a way that benefits both people and the environment.
My research approach lies at the intersection of environmental social science and data science drawing from political and environmental sciences, economics, sociology, and geography and remote sensing. My research projects have included synthesizing literature on the impacts of agroforestry policies and practices and conducting holistic assessments of the potential to expand agroforestry in the US Midwest using geospatial analysis, modeling, and qualitative data. My research currently focuses on integrating remotely sensed data into forest policy evaluation, including in Voluntary Carbon Markets. Broadly, I focus on applied research investigating the relationships between human development, land cover and land cover change, and conservation policies to inform policy decisions that can benefit people and the environment.
Dr. Samantha Bosco
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Samantha Bosco (she/they) is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. Bosco’s mixed-methods research investigates agroforestry (farming with trees) adoption in the upper Midwest as a social practice mediated by land manager decision making, farming networks, institutions, and policies. She also currently co-leads an effort to map and support agroforestry demonstration sites across the US with the Savanna Institute. Prior to UW–Madison, Bosco led community-based mixed-methods agroforestry research with the US Forest Service National Agroforestry Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension and at the Skaru:re (Tuscarora) Nation. Her transdisciplinary dissertation (Cornell University, ’22) examined the past, present, and future role of temperate nut trees for Haudenosaunee Food Sovereignty and commercial nut growers in New York State. During her PhD, she was awarded the Social Justice award from the Cornell University Office of Graduate and Professional Studies and the Botany in Action Fellowship from the Phipps Conservancy.
Grace Brazee
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Grace is currently a sophomore studying Forest Science. Her favorite aspect of the Sustainable Landscapes & Livelihoods Lab is investigating agroforestry and sustainable agricultural processes.