Natural Capital Project Fundamentals

Gretchen C. Daily, born October 19, 1964, has revolutionized environmental science through her groundbreaking work as the Bing Professor of Environmental Science at Stanford University and Faculty Director of the Natural Capital Project. Her innovative research bridges ecology, conservation, and economic development, focusing on understanding human dependence on nature and developing practical solutions for sustainable development. As co-founder of the Natural Capital Project in 2005, she has pioneered approaches to integrate nature's values into policy and business decisions, with tools now used in 185 nations. Her prolific academic career includes approximately 400 scientific publications and thirteen influential books, from "Nature's Services" (1997) to "Rural Livelihood and Environmental Sustainability in China" (2020). Daily's exceptional contributions have earned her numerous prestigious honors, including the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, Blue Planet Prize, and election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and American Philosophical Society. Through her roles as Director of Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, she continues to advance pragmatic approaches to harmonize conservation with human development, engaging with stakeholders from governments to local communities worldwide.

Stacie Wolny serves as a Senior Geographic Information Systems Specialist at Stanford University's Natural Capital Project, where she combines her technical expertise with environmental conservation. After a twelve-year career in Silicon Valley as a system administrator and software engineer, she transitioned to environmental science by studying GIS. With a B.S. in Computer Science from Penn State University and additional GIS studies at Foothill College and San Jose State University, she now develops and applies terrestrial hydrology tools for the Natural Capital Project. Her work supports crucial environmental research through data analysis, modeling, and geospatial applications, while also contributing to Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology. As a key member of the Natural Capital Project team, she helps create tools and methodologies that enable better understanding of ecosystem services and natural resource management.

Jess Silver serves as an Ecosystem Services Analyst for the Natural Capital Project's marine team at Stanford University, where she specializes in developing and implementing tools for coastal protection and ecosystem assessment. With degrees from Wellesley College and the University of Washington, she focuses on helping communities and organizations understand and utilize nature's value in decision-making processes. Her work centers on the development and application of InVEST coastal protection tools, which assess vulnerability to coastal hazards and evaluate natural defense potential in various contexts from national development planning to climate adaptation. Silver has made significant contributions through her work with partners in British Columbia, developing a habitat suitability index to guide restoration and spatial planning efforts. As part of the Natural Capital Project team, she builds capacity worldwide for scientific approaches that integrate environmental values into policy and planning decisions, while also contributing to the project's educational initiatives through Stanford University's course on the Natural Capital Project Approach.

Roy Remme has established himself as a prominent researcher in urban ecosystem services and environmental modeling through his work as a postdoctoral scholar with Stanford University's Natural Capital Project. His academic journey began in the Netherlands, earning his BSc in Environmental Sciences from Utrecht University and MSc in Climate Studies from Wageningen University, where he later completed his Ph.D. developing spatial models for ecosystem services and biodiversity accounting. His professional experience includes significant contributions at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and Environment and Statistics Netherlands, where he developed spatial modeling tools and national ecosystem accounts. At Stanford's Natural Capital Project, he focuses on developing and applying Urban InVEST tools, particularly for recreation and health-related ecosystem services, helping cities worldwide quantify and map the benefits of natural infrastructure. His work bridges the gap between environmental science and urban planning, providing decision-makers with practical tools to incorporate nature's value into urban design and management.

Sarah R. Cafasso has built a distinguished career bridging environmental science and strategic communications. After earning her BS in Environmental Studies and Psychology from Santa Clara University and later an MS in Communication from Northwestern University, she began her journey as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, where she developed environmental education campaigns and coastal resource management initiatives in the Visayan Islands. She then served at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, managing communications for Superfund sites and environmental disasters across the Western United States. As Communications Manager at Stanford University's Natural Capital Project from 2018 to 2021, she directed external and internal communications for this global partnership that connects science with real-world environmental solutions. Currently, she serves as Director of Communications at Aclima, a climate tech company, where she leads strategic communications to drive climate action and protect public health. Throughout her career, she has specialized in science storytelling, crisis communications, and stakeholder engagement, consistently working at the intersection of environmentalism, communication, and social impact.