Uncovering Our Concrete Jungle

Dr. Christopher J. Schell is an urban ecologist, professor, Afrofuturist, father, and published author. Schell’s research sits at the intersection of animal behavior, physiology, urban biodiversity conservation, environmental justice, and One Health to investigate how carnivores—namely coyotes, foxes, and raccoons—adapt to life in cities. In addition, Schell’s lab integrates critical discourses on how structural oppression (e.g., redlining, pollution burden, and socioeconomic disparities) directly shape the very urban features associated with human-wildlife interactions, conflict, and adaptation. This transdisciplinary work aims to disentangle how environmental injustices have structured our urban ecosystems and how we can harness those lessons to build more just, biodiverse, and resilient cities. Schell is a Grist Fixer, Cal Academy Fellow and board member, and affiliate faculty with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, with his work featured in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Vox’s Explained, and various NPR and PBS outlets. Since 2021, he has served on the faculty in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) at the University of California, Berkeley. A born-and-raised Los Angelean now firmly planted in the Bay Area, Schell weaves his lived experiences as a Black man and Californian to coproduce justice- and equity-centered research programs with local communities that regenerate urban nature, bolster environmental health, and break barriers to access for all peoples.