Gretchen Daily is also co-founder of The Natural Capital Project, an international partnership whose goal is to improve well-being of people and the environment by aligning economic forces with conservation.Daily's work spans scientific research, teaching, public education, and working with leaders to advance practical approaches to environmental challenges. Daily's scientific research is on biodiversity change; harmonizing biodiversity conservation and agriculture; quantifying the production and value of ecosystem services; and new policy and finance mechanisms for integrating the values of natural capital into major decisions. Her efforts span fundamental research and policy-oriented demonstrations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania.
Daily's recent honors include election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2005) and the American Philosophical Society (2008), The Sophie Prize (2008), The International Cosmos Prize (2009), and the Midori Prize (2010). She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University.