Friends of Plumas Wilderness and Plumas Audubon Society announce the third event in their collaborative Cultivating Connectivity series. This panel discussion, set to take place Tuesday, June 4, at the West End Theatre in Quincy, promises to be an engaging exploration into carnivore research initiatives underway in the upper Feather River watershed and region.
The panel will feature wildlife biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, including Jason Lombardi, Axel Hunnicutt and Arjun Dheer, specialists in mountain lions, wolves and bears, respectively, as well as Katie Moriarity, a leading expert on Pacific marten.
Research published by the Royal Society has highlighted the precarious situation facing large terrestrial carnivores, with 64% of species threatened by extinction, and 80% experiencing declining population trends. The loss of 60% of their habitat over the last several centuries underscores the urgency of understanding and conserving these species, say organizers.
“Carnivores play a vital role in ecosystem dynamics influencing everything from prey population control to plant growth and disease prevention,” say organizers. The panelists will discuss newly initiated and ongoing research efforts focused on mountain lions, wolves, black bears and pacific martens in the upper Feather River watershed. “Attendees can expect a lively and informative discussion that illuminates the challenges and opportunities facing carnivore conservation in the region,” say organizers.
Throughout summer 2024, field crews will be actively collecting data across the watershed to contribute to these research projects. Topics of discussion will include emerging wolf parks, changes in mountain lion movement patterns due to increased wolf presence, and efforts to collar black bears to fill data gaps in their life history strategies.
The panel is made up of the following:
- Dr. Arjun Dheer, statewide black bear coordinator for CDFW, coordinating modernized approaches to black bear monitoring.
- Axel Hunnicutt, statewide gray wolf coordinator for CFDW, leading efforts in wolf conservation and research.
- Dr. Jason Lombardi, statewide large carnivore research coordinator focusing on mountain lion conservation efforts.
- Dr. Katie Moriarity, forest wildlife ecologist for NCASI, specializing in Pacific marten conservation.
The panel is free to attend and begins at 6:30 p.m. The West End Theatre is located at 541 Main St.
For more information, visit https://plumaswilderness.org/connect/cultivatingconnectivity/ and http://www.plumasaudubon.org/speakers.html.
Information provided by Friends of Plumas Wilderness
