Douglas W. Smith PhD
One man. One mission. A wilder Yellowstone.
44 Years, 100+ Papers, and One Unforgettable Legacy in Wolf Conservation.
ABOUT DOUG
Douglas W. Smith PhD retired as Senior Wildlife Biologist in Yellowstone National Park in 2022 after 28 years of service to Yellowstone. He supervised the wolf, bird and elk programs – formerly three jobs combined into one under Doug’s supervision. His original job was the Project Leader for the Yellowstone Wolf Project which involved the reintroduction and restoration of wolves to Yellowstone National Park. He helped establish this project and position. Doug received a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Idaho in 1985, a Master of Science degree in Biology at Michigan Technological University in 1988, and a PhD from University of Nevada, Reno in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology in 1997. He is most recognized for his wolf research and management working with wolves for 44 years across North America and Europe, most notably Yellowstone and Isle Royale national parks. Besides wolves he has decades of experience studying and researching beavers and birds. As a result of this work, he has produced over 100 peer-reviewed publications, tens of popular articles, six books, and thousands of interviews including 60 Minutes, several BBC and National Geographic specials and several live national television broadcasts. Two books, Decade of the Wolf and Yellowstone Wolves, received awards – the Montana nature book of the year and the Wildlife Society’s best edited wildlife book for 2020. Yellowstone’s Birds out in late 2023 is only the third bird book in the park’s 150-year history. Doug is also an in demand public speaker having given approximately 2000 talks on wolves, birds and other wildlife. He was selected as a National Geographic Live speaker for 2024 and 2025. Since retiring and besides public speaking, Doug is consulting on several wolf management programs and helping with public outreach and media about wildlife conservation issues in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Other than wildlife research and conservation Doug is an avid canoeist paddling some of the most remote regions on the North American continent including four trips lasting a month. He and his wife, Christine, live with their two sons in Bozeman, Montana.
