Founder

Luke Macaulay, Ph.D.

Wildlife scientist and educator. Ph.D. from UC Berkeley; Extension Specialist at UC Berkeley (2016–2020) and Wildlife Management Specialist with University of Maryland Extension (2020–2026).

After earning tenure, he went all-in on entrepreneurship with Land & Wildlife — bringing research-grade methods to landowners and agencies who need decisions, not just data.

For about three years he has been proving acoustic methods through a research partnership on a ~1,000-acre working farm — digitizing soundscapes and translating calling into management insight (partnership, not ownership).

Luke Macaulay speaking at a workshop
  • Ph.D. Wildlife & Range Management · UC Berkeley
  • Extension · Berkeley + Maryland
  • Tenure → Land & Wildlife
  • ~1,000-acre acoustics farm partnership

Path

My story

I started in public relations — including work with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office — learning how to translate complex work for people who need clarity. That same instinct pulled me into wildlife and rangeland research and education at UC Berkeley, then into academia and Extension at the University of Maryland (2020–2026), where applied research and teaching met landowners and managers on the ground.

After earning tenure, I moved to the private side with Land & Wildlife — not to leave the mission, but to have an even bigger impact on habitat, and to grow a business that can dedicate its resources to land conservation. My goal is to help improve management on over a million acres, and to purchase and conserve land for wildlife.

I believe nature is a pathway for understanding deeper aspects of our reality and ourselves — a way to settle into the parasympathetic nervous system, to connect with others, and to feel the chorus of the natural world deeply.

My recent focus on acoustics is a bet: we can now digitize signals from nature to drive decision-making for habitat on the ground. I’ll still work in habitat management and education — reach out if you’d like to collaborate there — but this focus lets us do that work with greater understanding, and to share knowledge in ways that weren’t possible before.

More voices

Testimonials

“After a storm destroyed over 280 trees on the UMD Golf Course, Dr. Macaulay helped turn a barren stump field into a pollinator meadow — advising on native species, planting, and long-term care. That space is alive again.”

Laura Russell · UMD Golf Course, Special Projects

“Your talk ‘The 4 Pillars of Managing Deer Damage’ was on the spot and very professionally given… cutting-edge research and experience, presented like a pro.”

Bob Rouse · Bob Rouse Agriculturalist LLC · Emeritus Faculty, University of Maryland

“Luke has been crucial to helping me with both of my farms — to build better habitat… The programs are full of details and to the point. They work!”

Roby Malandrucco · Retired landowner

“Luke has done a phenomenal job of bringing land managers of all stripes together… prescribed fire, grassland bird habitat, and other great knowledge sharing.”

Lindsay Hollister · Horticulturalist & de facto land manager

Contact

Get in touch

luke@landwildlife.com