M. Nils Peterson

M. Nils Peterson is a Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University. His work focuses on the human dimensions of conservation biology, exploring intersections between human behavior and natural systems.

• BS, Texas A&M University (2000)
• MS, Texas A&M University (2003)
• PhD, Michigan State University (2007)

Peterson’s research examines environmental literacy, household dynamics, human-wildlife conflict, hunting sociology, and democratic processes in conservation. His lab employs natural experiments to study how children influence parental climate change attitudes, urban wildlife management strategies, and cultural aspects of outdoor recreation.

His recent publications analyze topics like political polarization in conservation, intergenerational learning impacts, and socio-ecological drivers of human-carnivore coexistence. Current projects include grants from NC Wildlife Resources Commission, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and NCSU Sea Grant Program focusing on deer ecology, coastal resilience, and CWD management.

Peterson leads the Peterson Lab, which investigates how intergenerational learning and community networks drive environmental literacy and conservation outcomes. The lab has demonstrated that children can effectively change parental perspectives on climate change and that educational interventions can improve public tolerance for apex predators like wolves and sharks.