Literature about the connection between economics and conservation can now be found in the form of a field guide.

UVM professors Taylor Ricketts, Brendan Fisher and their co-author Robin Naidoo of the World Wildlife Foundation wrote “A Field Guide to Economics for Conservationists” together. Their goal was to write it in a way that is accessible and entertaining, Fisher said. “It is just really trying to show all of the costs and benefits of different decisions which have economic and biodiversity or conservation components to it,” he said.

“I think it’s kind of interesting,” junior Rosie Gluck said. “It definitely makes [the economics of conservation] more straightforward.”

“I know they have a few [natural resources] classes that are geared towards social sciences and not just science as an environmental science major,” senior Megan Sullivan said.

The book is currently being used in one graduate class on ecosystem services at UVM, and Fisher said that he would love to teach a class in the Rubenstein School on this topic. “It’s something you can pick up, learn and it will help you see the world slightly differently,” he said.