National Battlefields & Military Parks

Peter Smallwood, associate professor of biology, is an expert in conservation biology and science policy. He has previously served as a science advisor to the Senate Homeland Security/Government Affairs Committee and as the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s program in Afghanistan.

Smallwood, along with research colleague and fellow UR professor Todd Lookingbill, is the coauthor of Collateral Values, a book exploring the unanticipated benefits that may arise after wars and conflicts, showing how the preservation of battlefields and the establishment of borderlands can create natural capital in the former landscapes of war. 

"In general, wars destroy capital of all kinds: built capital of infrastructure, human capital, and natural capital are all swept away in tragic proportions by the currents of war," said Smallwood. 

"The aftermath of war provides long-standing opportunities to reflect upon and memorialize those who lost their lives in battle. But it also can provide opportunities to preserve and protect natural areas, either as a byproduct or even by accident. Thus the phrase 'collateral values' in contrast to the more familiar 'collateral damage.'"

Contact Director of Media and Public Relations Sunni Brown at sbrown5@richmond.edu to connect with Smallwood.