Scott has extensive experience in endangered species conservation, pollinator conservation, and sustainable agricultural and range and forest management issues. He has authored over 200 scientific and popular publications, co-authored two books and contributed chapters to several others, and his work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, books, and on radio and television. Scott holds a Master of Science degree in ecology and a Bachelor of Science in horticulture, both through the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University.
He also serves as the Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Butterfly Specialist Group, Chair of the Migratory Dragonfly Partnership, Vice Chair of the Monarch Joint Venture, and as Deputy Chair of the IUCN Invertebrate Conservation Subcommittee. Scott has received several awards, including the 2011 Colorado State University College of Agricultural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award and the U.S. Forest Service Wings Across the Americas 2012 Butterfly Conservation Award.