About
Wilder is an environmental consulting corporation based in California, with specific expertise in the US southwest deserts.
We perform scientific research, mitigation actions, assessments, and compliance monitoring, as well as technical writing, GIS, and reporting in support of permitting and compliance.
Distinguished by:Pro-active and responsive communication brings personalized attention from field professionals who have the experience to solve emerging challenges
Experienced personnel command efficient use of field time, lowering client expenses
Relevant, quality data minimizes office processing and reporting times
Timely deliverables in direct support of client deadlines
Flexibility to rapidly adapt focus and techniques to accommodate evolution in project goals
Who We AreA commitment to quality keeps us focused on employing career field biologists, and delivering their expertise at competitive rates. Our small core size imparts agility and allows us to focus immediately on the unique challenges in a given project, while our broad network of environmental professionals enables us to rapidly scale our staffing to meet your project needs as they evolve.
Wilder Ecological personnel work outdoors for a career. Their long term investment in fulfilling work in the field delivers measurable and immediate benefits to our clients, as they apply skills and certifications applicable specifically to the region and project resources at hand.
We have leadership experience on restoration, scientific, and environmental compliance projects of varying sizes and scopes, from remote island research outposts to utility scale solar developments.
Our staff and associates are credentialed and agency authorized biologists with the expertise to conduct species-specific protocol surveys and scientific research, and are currently some of the most experienced biologists working on large Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) translocation projects in the Mojave Desert in Nevada and California.
Leadership
President + Lead BiologistLiana Harp
Liana is the President and CEO of Wilder Biological Consulting. She has contributed to project goals in field leadership positions, in addition to her role as a Subject Matter Expert for permitting compliance, mitigation plan development, and biological resource reporting. She has been conducting biological surveys and construction monitoring field work in the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts for 18 years. Although she conducts avian, mammal, and plant surveys, her special interest is in the Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). She has participated in four large scale (>100 animals) translocation projects, and has personally sampled more than 600 tortoises for USFWS protocol health assessments.
Prior to 2008 she worked as an academic counselor in California public schools. In this role she developed and implemented novel outreach and education programs that aligned the interests of students and their parents with administrative and academic goals, while routinely managing caseloads of 150+ students. She holds B.A. degrees in Anthropology and Environmental Studies, and a Masters in Education.
Principal + Lead BiologistNathan Jones
Nathan contributes to field project leadership, mapping and GIS analyses, report writing, and other data management efforts. He serves as a Subject Matter Expert in developing mitigation plans and reporting. He has 30+ years of field experience spanning research, conservation, civil engineering/land survey, and environmental consulting. He has worked as a research biologist for California universities, USA non-profits, and the USFWS on field projects that span desert, marine, and coastal habitats from Mexico to Alaska. He has contributed to agency and non-profit reporting, and has written as a lead and co-author on several peer-reviewed scientific publications.
His work in the desert southwest began in 2000 as a contractor for Arizona Game and Fish, monitoring Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and continues today with a strong emphasis on Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and avian work throughout the Mojave and Great Basin regions. His work in coastal and marine environments began in 1994 as a technician doing native plant inventories in coastal dune systems of Monterey Bay, and progressed through several staff and lead positions conducting research on seabird ecology and monitoring of marine mammals. He holds B.A. degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies, and an MSc. in Marine Science.
