Location
Engel 223
Event Website
http://www.cpe.vt.edu/cuenr/index.html
Start Date
3-27-2010 9:30 AM
End Date
3-27-2010 10:00 AM
Description
One of the common problems associated with introducing urban wildlife management (UWM) as part of the curriculum in the wildlife sciences has been the simplistic notions our colleagues, students, and others have regarding its conceptual framework. For example, the “raccoon in a garbage can” always seems to become the summative explanation of urban wildlife management. Other reductionist definitions include animal damage control, or that UWM is a particular suite of techniques peculiar only to urban areas. The latter problem is of our own making given the inclusion of UWM in the Wildlife Management Techniques Manual published by The Wildlife Society. Truth be known, wildlife management techniques primarily consist of catching, identifying, marking, and counting wild animals flavored with a healthy dose of formulae and statistics to add scientific rigor to the first four activities. UWM is another expression of the depth and breadth of human involvement with wild things. This presentation will explore several similarities and differences that differentiate wildlife management in human‐altered and natural rural landscapes. This analysis is required to provide a more complete and accurate presentation about UWM to colleagues, students, and the general public. As such, it will help to articulate and summarize the critical curriculum components for courses on UWM. Finally, this exercise will provide a unique identity to the UWM profession which goes far beyond raccoons and techniques.
Included in
Wildlife Management Education Needs to Go Urban
Engel 223
One of the common problems associated with introducing urban wildlife management (UWM) as part of the curriculum in the wildlife sciences has been the simplistic notions our colleagues, students, and others have regarding its conceptual framework. For example, the “raccoon in a garbage can” always seems to become the summative explanation of urban wildlife management. Other reductionist definitions include animal damage control, or that UWM is a particular suite of techniques peculiar only to urban areas. The latter problem is of our own making given the inclusion of UWM in the Wildlife Management Techniques Manual published by The Wildlife Society. Truth be known, wildlife management techniques primarily consist of catching, identifying, marking, and counting wild animals flavored with a healthy dose of formulae and statistics to add scientific rigor to the first four activities. UWM is another expression of the depth and breadth of human involvement with wild things. This presentation will explore several similarities and differences that differentiate wildlife management in human‐altered and natural rural landscapes. This analysis is required to provide a more complete and accurate presentation about UWM to colleagues, students, and the general public. As such, it will help to articulate and summarize the critical curriculum components for courses on UWM. Finally, this exercise will provide a unique identity to the UWM profession which goes far beyond raccoons and techniques.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/Sessions/Courses/1
Comments
Citation: Adams, C.E., K.J. Lindsey. 2010. Wildlife management education needs to go urban. UENR Biennial Conference, Session Innovations in Pedagogy, Course Design, Paper Number 1. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/Sessions/Courses/1/