Pamela D. McElwee is trained as an anthropologist and forester and is a Professor of Human Ecology at Rutgers University. Her work focuses on human dimensions of environmental change related to biodiversity and climate. She has served key roles in science-policy assessments, including the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and US National Climate Assessment.

Karen E. Allen is a cultural anthropologist who works in conservation and sustainability science. Her research focuses on the sustainability of social-ecological systems and the interaction between environmental policy and human decision-making. She is an Associate Professor at Furman University.

Rachelle K. Gould is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work involves social science, the humanities, and ecology. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Vermont. Her research explores the relationship between people and ecosystems and focuses on (1) environmental values, including Cultural Ecosystem Services and relational values; (2) lifelong and life-wide environmental learning and its relationship to behavior; and (3) how issues of equity, inclusion, and justice permeate environmental issues.

Minna Hsu is a human geographer whose work focuses on Indigenous peoples' rights and knowledges in natural resource and disaster management. She is the co-lead of the IUCN Cultural Practices and Ecosystem Management Thematic Group (Commission on Ecosystem Management).

Jun He is a Professor of human ecology at the School of Ethnology and Sociology, Yunnan University, China. His research interests lie in global value chains, Indigenous knowledge, non-timber forest products, agroforestry and forest governance.