Camping with Copperheads: Reducing Human-Wildlife Conflict through Education and Management
UofL's Department of Geographic & Environmental Sciences invites you to their free seminar series, open to all.
On November 14th, the featured speaker will be Dr. Stephen Richter, of Eastern Kentucky University's Division of Natural Areas. How can studying the biology of copperheads and cicadas help to reduce human-wildlife conflicts In this presentation, we'll consider how recreational sites located within natural landscapes provide opportunities to balance conservation, education, and public access while also increasing the potential for human-wildlife interactions. Over the past 8 years, Dr. Richter's lab has been studying resource positioning by humans, copperheads, and cicadas at a campground in the Red River Gorge using radio telemetry, mark-recapture, environmental data, population censusing, and behavioral observations. Their recommendations for site management seek to reduce human conflicts, balance the needs of both humans and wildlife, and create opportunities for public education and engagement.
