James Anderson is the Program Manager for WRI's Cities4Forests initiative, where he helps manage project delivery across a global alliance of more than 80 cities acting to conserve, restore and sustainably manage nature, especially the world’s forests, for human well-being. James works closely with cities and other partners to help them maximize benefits from trees and forests for water, air quality, biodiversity, climate, livelihoods, and more.

Previously, James served as Communications Manager for WRI's Forests Program, supporting projects such as Global Forest Watch, the Global Restoration Initiative, and the Forest Legality Initiative. Before that, James was a Research Fellow at the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre in Namibia, where he managed a desert ecology research program and field school, coordinated media outreach, and advised Namibia’s Strategic Environmental Assessment on the social and environmental impacts of uranium mining. James has also worked with Jones Associates Foresters in Maine, the Fish and Wildlife Service in Kodiak, Alaska, and the National Park Service at Mt. Rainier, Washington. He was also a writer for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s online biodiversity database The Encyclopedia of Life.

James is passionate about rigorous research, effective communications, and WRI's people-focused approach. He studied English and Environmental Studies at Grinnell College, Iowa.

James is based in San Francisco, where he spends his time trail running, playing mandolin, and chasing around his twin toddler daughters.