Wildlife Wednesday
Join us Wednesdays for an engaging presentation about wildlife and the dedicated researchers who study them!
Wildlife Wednesday is our latest effort to educate individuals and communities about the vital importance of understanding and protecting wildlife. Through such outreach initiatives, CWS seeks to engage individuals of all ages and backgrounds in learning about local and global wildlife issues, fostering a sense of responsibility and action towards preserving the planet’s biodiversity, and promoting evidence-based conservation globally.
Read the details about our presentations below and register today!
Upcoming Presentations
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HAND OVER THE RESOURCES: Community-based Subsistence Fishing Areas (CBSFAs) in Hawai’i
Dr. Michelle Benedum, CWS instructor & Policy Analyst, Saltwater Inc.
February 12, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. EST
The Hawaiian nearshore non-commercial fishery is a critical source of food for thousands of people. Numerous environmental threats to their productivity and sustainability require novel management approaches before resources are irreversibly depleted. One potential strategy to empower citizens is the adoption of Community-based Subsistence Fishing Areas (CBSFAs). CBSFAs represent a state recognized avenue for local community groups to mobilize and govern their nearshore resources for current and future generations by crafting their own set of rules and regulations while emphasizing traditional ways of life.
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GRIZZLY BEAR BEHAVIOR IN SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA: Use of a Hidden Markov Model to Assess Environmental and Anthropogenic Variables on Behavior
Amanda Mumford, Research Biologist, WEST
March 12, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. EST
Understanding wildlife population dynamics and implementing management practices can benefit from understanding animal behavioral patterns and traits. In Alaska, USA, grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) behavior is important to understand because the species is an apex predator, exerts top-down population effects, and is a cornerstone species across complex landscapes. Using GPS location data and cutting-edge behavioral models, we can now infer animal decisions and attempt to explain them in terms of resource availability, human stressors, and other important factors. It’s a new take on a classic question: why did the bear cross the road?
Join us to learn about how these exciting new tools can help us understand the lives and needs of grizzly bears in a heavily hunted population.
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OF MICE AND MUSEUMS: Using Natural History Collections to Understand the Diversity and Distribution of the North American Deer Mouse.
Dr. Natalie Hamilton, Postdoctoral Researcher, UA Fairbanks-Museum of the North
April 9, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. EST
Genetic and geographic population structure are crucial for wildlife conservation by providing insight into the health, diversity, and sustainability of species. Few resources have been more important for describing species’ distributions and distinguishing among often cryptic species classification than museum archives. As powerful tools like population genomics and 3D imaging are refined, museum collections are contributing to our understanding of the natural world, and the threats to it, in new and unforeseen ways.
Join us to learn about how archived collections are helping to reveal the species limits and geographic structure of the North American Deer Mouse species complex. Dr. Hamilton will present on her collaborative research program and how their results are advancing our understanding of topics ranging from evolutionary processes to zoonotic disease transmission.
