Bringing human behavioural sciences to conservation
About Brock
Dr Brock Bergseth is an award-winning scientist, author, and public speaker who uses cutting-edge human behavioural sciences to inform conservation efforts. As a Marine Biologist and Conservation Psychologist working in conservation science for more than a decade, Brock has seen first-hand the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. He therefore uses his expertise to address some of the most difficult challenges and wicked problems in conservation today, including overfishing, poaching, and illegal fishing.
After hours, he can typically be found penning his love story to mother nature through outdoor immersions and adrenaline-inducing adventures. Whether spearfishing and kiteboarding Australia’s oceans, snowboarding the Swiss Alps, sitting amongst the legendary Lebanese cedars, or chasing big game in the North American wilderness, Brock is out there, finding his edge, and exploring the natural wonders of our world.
Vision
Brock sees a world where we recognise and celebrate our deep evolutionary history and connection with the natural world. A world where our lifestyles and daily habits bolster rather than destroy our environment. This future isn't impossible, or that far away. It simply requires small shifts in our thinking, our systems, and our values. We change our behaviours all the time, often unknowingly. The challenge of our lifetime is to change them to preserve and create positive change on our planet.
Mission
Brock uses the latest findings from human behavioural sciences to inform and guide conservation efforts. Humans cause many of the problems that conservation programs are trying to address - Brock therefore blends psychology, behavioural economics, cognitive sciences, and criminology with the natural sciences to find where changes in communication, policy, or practice can greatly increase the impact of conservation outcomes for people and nature.
Background
Brock's multi-disciplinary training and expertise give him a unique ability to view, approach, and address pervasive and pressing issues in conservation.
For instance, we often think we know the solution before we've fully understood and explored the problem. This results in well-intentioned conservation interventions that miss the mark, and often make the problem worse rather than better. One of the most common examples in conservation is the belief that we can solve issues like climate change or habitat destruction simply by educating people and raising their awareness. This has been disproven time and time again in the human behavioural sciences. To affect scalable impact/meaningful change, we need to look deeper and discover the hidden drivers of human behaviour that we can target using evidence-based strategic interventions.
​​ ​
Brock has a wide range of experience across multiple sectors in conservation and environmental science. While each sector had unique challenges and particular approaches to solving conservation problems, one common thread ran through everything: dealing with humans. This issue was regularly treated as the 'black box' problem that no one knew how to successfully address, and often put in the 'too hard' basket. In recognition of this challenge, Brock completed a PhD that blended human behavioural sciences, marine ecology, and marine biology, building the ability and expertise to understand and influence people for conservation outcomes. He brings a pragmatic and optimistic approach to solving problems in conservation, and is a firm believer that even the hardest, most wicked problems can be solved using a human-centric lens.
​
Brock is more than a conservation scientist and psychologist - he's also an avid hunter, fisher, and outdoorsman. This means he's uniquely qualified to, and regularly does, reach across the aisle, empathise, and meaningfully engage with groups, individuals, or organisations that are often polarised, disengaged, or apathetic to conservation. Conservation is often conflict resolution - whether between humans, or humans and animals, it requires finding middle ground, and maintaining dialogue. Brock's training in conflict resolution, justice, and peace studies means he is uniquely qualified to engage on contentious issues.
​​
Brock has experience working in national and state government, private consultancy, philanthropy, industry, and academia. This range and diverse background enables him to view and approach issues and problems from multiple angles. Often referred to as 'range' or 'analogical intelligence' or the ability to apply concepts and approaches from one context to the other, this type of problem solving is widely acknowledged as an invaluable skill needed to address the complex problems that we face today, including climate change, the biodiversity crisis, and changing people's behaviours. ​
​
Brocks approach
2
RESEARCH
Brock's research focuses on the intersection of humans and nature. As a multi-disciplinary scientist he works to understand and address root causes and drivers of pressing challenges in conservation including overfishing, poaching, and illegal hunting. Importantly, he focuses heavily on a solutions-focused approaches to transcend the simple documentation of degradation and decline in our natural world. We don't need more evidence. We need solutions and action.
3
WRITING
In addition to his academic publications, Brock's writing and expert opinion has been prominently featured in reputable outlets such as Science, The Conversation, and ABC. Currently, he is in the final stages of completing his highly anticipated debut book, 'Wild Hope: Saving the Planet and Ourselves'.
4
CONSULTING
Drawing on extensive experience in academia, industry, and government, Brock offers strategic insights and practical solutions tailored to your unique challenges. His consulting services are focus on the overlap between humans and nature. His consulting work is specialized in facilitating behaviour change, understanding and increasing conservation management effectiveness and compliance, and communication science.