"It's not just about learning, it's about doing. Together, we can rewrite the story of coexistence."

Jake Willers

Founder

Jake Willers began his career by managing Shepreth Wildlife Park in the UK for over a decade. During this time, he gained extensive expertise working with large predators such as tigers, mountain lions, lynx, and grey wolves. Additionally, his experience with smaller creatures led him to curate the fish and insect attraction/exhibition 'Waterworld & Bug City'. It was through this venture that Jake transitioned into the world of television hosting and wildlife filmmaking.

Jake has hosted 30 wildlife shows, reaching audiences in 147 countries and translated into 25 languages. He has collaborated with esteemed channels including National Geographic Channel International, Nat Geo Wild, Discovery, Animal Planet, Channel FIVE, UK, and the BBC's Natural History Unit. Recently, Jake was commissioned to film urban black bears for the BBC's highly anticipated series, Planet Earth III.

Furthermore, Jake is a published author, having written the children's book, Spooner the Bear. He is also the host of the Master Wildlife Filmmaking Podcast and a keynote speaker.

Jake's admiration for urban black bears began in 2005 when he first visited Lake Tahoe to film an episode for the Nat Geo Wild series, 'Rogue Raiders'. Two years later, he relocated to the South Reno area and has been capturing the lives of the Tahoe bear population ever since. His decade-long observations have provided invaluable insights into the behavior of these urbanized creatures, fueling his passion for conserving this population through philanthropic initiatives.

Dr Alyson Andreasen

Staff Ecologist

Dr. Alyson Andreasen’s journey with large carnivores began in Colorado where she earned her Master’s degree in 2005. Her research focused on understanding the spatial and behavioral patterns of black bears in urban landscapes within Colorado Springs. It was during this time, she realized the pivotal research being conducted on urban black bears in Lake Tahoe. Motivated by this discovery, Alyson returned to her hometown in Nevada to contribute as a volunteer.

Driven by a passion for wildlife conservation, Alyson pursued her PhD at the University of Nevada, Reno, initiating the first research on mountain lions in Nevada since the 1970s. Her doctoral research explored predator-prey dynamics, identified important habitat for mountain lions, and uncovered previously unknown human-induced mortality of mountain lions. She also worked with the public to reduce human-mountain lion conflict. Alyson later initiated research examining how re-colonizing black bears influence mountain lion predation in Nevada. Alyson hopes that her experience working closely with both humans and carnivores can help to solve this ever growing problem.