Richard Reading

Dr. Richard Reading, Ph.D., Vice President of Science and Conservation, has worked to develop and direct Butterfly Pavilion’s growing international portfolio of research and conservation projects over the past six years.

Rich oversees the Horticultural and Curatorial Departments, in addition to the Research and Conservation Department. According to Butterfly Pavilion President and CEO Patrick Tennyson, “Rich is a tremendous leader in conservation today. He is extremely well-versed, vastly knowledgeable, and passionate about developing the next generation of invertebrate scientists. Rich is shaping and reprioritizing the value of invertebrates in global conservation efforts, and, through his talents, magnifying their importance.”

Dr. Reading serves as an Adjunct Professor within the Department of Biology at the University of Denver; Affiliate Faculty with the Department of Agricultural Biology at Colorado State University; and a Fellow with the University of Nebraska’s Center for Great Plains Studies. Prior to joining Butterfly Pavilion, Rich spent 19 years running the Conservation Biology program at Denver Zoological Foundation.

Dr. Reading received a Ph.D. and three master’s degrees from Yale University in Wildlife Ecology and Human Dimensions of Wildlife and an Honorary Doctorate from the National Education University of Mongolia. In 2020, Rich was honored to receive the Order of the Polar Star, the highest honor from the Mongolian National Government for expatriates, for contributions to conservation. He has conducted or overseen projects in dozens of countries, working primarily on grassland and arid ecosystems on six continents, with a focus on the Great Plains of North America, the steppes and deserts of Mongolia, the savannahs and deserts of Botswana, and the Altiplano of Peru. Dr. Reading’s work focuses on developing pragmatic, effective, and interdisciplinary approaches to the conservation of wildlife and protected areas through research, capacity development, and working with local people and governments. Rich also serves on the board of directors or advisors for several non-profit organizations in the United States and overseas and as an associate editor for 5 scientific journals. Rich was also appointed to serve a four-year term on the Governor’s Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.