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Lara Foley, M.S.

Department

Conservation & Science

Center

Tanzania Conservation Research Program

Title

Research Coordinator

Education

M.S. – ITC, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, Netherlands
B.S. – Willamette University, Oregon

Areas of Expertise

Conservation research and planning
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Remote sensing
Project and grant management
Fundraising for conservation research projects
Demographic and behavioral studies of African elephants

About

Lara has been involved with wildlife conservation in Tanzania since 1998, with a focus on elephant research and conservation. Her work includes using mapping and spatial ecology to help prioritize land protection in areas critical for wildlife, assisting communities in developing land-use plans, and creating the first-ever national range maps for large mammals in Tanzania. She also has more than 20 years of experience in project management and grant management for conservation projects in Tanzania.

From 2004– 2019, Lara worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society, co-managing the Tarangire Elephant Project in northern Tanzania with her husband, Charles Foley, Ph.D. In 2019, she moved with her family from Tanzania to the U.S. and joined Lincoln Park Zoo as a research coordinator for the Tanzania Conservation and Research Center.

In addition to balancing work and family life with teenage daughters, Lara enjoys international travel, wildlife watching, camping, hiking, yoga, and anything else that immerses her in wild places.

In the Wild, Conserving Threatened Wildlife

Updating the Tanzania Mammal Atlas Database

In the Wild, Helping People and Wildlife Coexist

Collaborating to Conserve Lions

In the Wild, Helping People and Wildlife Coexist

Collaborating with KopeLion

Publications

Wiethase, J. H., Critchlow, R., Foley, C., Foley, L., Kinsey, E. J., Bergman, B. G., Osujaki, B., Mbwambo, Z., Kirway, P. B., Redeker, K. R., Hartley, S. E., & Beale, C. M. (2023). Pathways of degradation in rangelands in Northern Tanzania show their loss of resistance, but potential for recovery. Scientific Reports, 13, 2417. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29358-6.
C. Foley, S. Strindberg, M. Hassanali, P. Baran, L. Foley, A. Lobora. 2018. Abundance and Distribution of Large Ungulates in the Tarangire-West Kilimanjaro Ecosystem: An Analysis of Five Ground Counts from 2016–2018. March 2018. Wildlife Conservation Society pp 48.
C. Foley, M. Hassanali, P. Baran, L. Foley, A. Lobora, P. Henschel, S. Durant. 2018. An Assessment of the Distribution and Abundance of Large Carnivores in the Tarangire-West Kilimanjaro Ecosystem using Spoor Counts. July 2018. Wildlife Conservation Society pp 12.
C. Foley, M. Hassanali, P. Baran, L. Foley, A. Lobora, S. Durant. 2018. An Assessment of Mammal Diversity and Abundance in Makame Wildlife Management Area (WMA) by Camera Trap Survey. April 2018. Wildlife Conservation Society pp 22.
Davenport, T.R.B., S. Fakih, S. Kimiti, L. Kleine, L. Foley, D. DeLuca. 2017. Zanzibar’s endemic red colobus Pilicolous kirkii: first systematic and total assessment of population, demography, and distribution. Oryx, 1-9. doi:10.1017/S003060531700148X.
Foley, C., Foley, L., Lobora, A., De Luca, D., Msuha, M., Davenport, T.R.B., Durant, S. 2014. A field guide to the Larger Mammals of Tanzania. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
C. Foley, and L. Foley. 2014. Wildlife Trends and Status of Migratory Corridors in the Tarangire Ecosystem. Wildlife Conservation Society pp 54.
Nelson, F., C. Foley, L. Foley, A. Leposo, E. Loure, D. Peterson, M. Peterson, T. Peterson, H. Sachedina, A. Williams. 2009. Payments for Ecosystem Services as a Framework for Community-Based Conservation in Northern Tanzania. Conservation Biology 24(1): 78-85.
TAWIRI. 2009. Tanzania Carnivore Conservation Action Plan. S. Durant, C. Foley, A. Lobora, M. Msuha, S. Mduma, L. Foley (eds.). Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania.
Foley, C., N. Pettorelli, L. Foley. 2008. Severe drought and calf survival in elephants. Biology Letters 4(5): 541-544.
Ishengoma, D., A. Shedlock, C.A.H. Foley, L. Foley, S. Wasser, S. Balthazary, B. Mutayoba. 2008. Effects of poaching on bull mating success in free-ranging African elephant (Loxodonta africana) population of Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Conservation Genetics 9:247-255.
L. Foley. 2002. The Influence of Environmental Factors and Human Activity on Elephant Distribution. MSc thesis. International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC).
V. Galanti, R. Rossi, G. Tosi, C.A.H. Foley, and L. Foley. 2000. Elephant Capture, Collaring and Radio-Tracking in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Pachyderm 28:58-59.

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