Thanks to all the speakers and attendees who helped to make the workshop a success. We had interesting conversations, exchanged perspectives, and made a lot of new contacts. Check out this article that the local Missoulian newspaper wrote up about the workshop. You can find additional description of the workshop as well as videos of some of our speakers at this blog entry.
The focus of the workshop, held in July 2014 was to evaluate the role of hunting in modern conservation biology. As conservation priorities have shifted away from an early focus on game species management toward biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, many conservation biologists have little experience with hunting. Despite this, the tax and fee revenues from hunting continue provide the predominant source of funding for state wildlife agencies, and hunters can be vocal and influential stakeholders regarding conservation efforts ranging from wetland restoration to gray wolf re-introductions to lead-free bullet initiatives.
Saturday July 12, 2014, 9am – 2:30pm:
9:00 am: Introduction: Historical role of hunting and Overview of Workshop – Luke Macaulay, Ph.D. candidate at University of California, Berkeley.
9:20 am: Group introductions
9:40 am: Role of Hunting in Modern Conservation Biology – Ben Long, Senior Program Director of Resource Media
10:00 am: Harvest Ecology: carrying capacity, maximum sustainable yield models and their problems – Dr. Justin Brashares, Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of California, Berkeley.
10:20 am: Break
10:30 am: Connecting hunters and anglers with their conservation roots – Joel Webster, Center for Western Lands Director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
10:50 am: Demographic changes in the hunting community – Land Tawney, Executive Director of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
11:10 am: Break
11:20 am: Hunting in the Developing World: A Powerful (and Problematic) Tool for Conservation – Pete Coppolillo, Ph.D., Working Dogs for Conservation
11:40 am: Using sport hunting to manage non-native game species on Catalina Island – Mark Heath, Shelterbelt Builders (for Charlie de la Rosa, UCLA Ph.D. candidate).
Noon: Lunch
1 pm: Panel: Carnivore re-introductions and hunters: Managing stakeholders to create win-win situations
- Mike Thompson, Wildlife Manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
- Dave Stalling, Writer and Wildlife Advocate living in Missoula, Montana
1:40 pm: Finding Common Ground: Promoting Hunting, Endangered Species Conservation, and Non-Lead Ammunition – Scott Scherbinski, Wildlife Health Outreach Coordinator at California’s Pinnacles National Park
2:00 – 2:30pm: Closing thoughts and discussion. Luke Macaulay, Ph.D. candidate at University of California, Berkeley.
