Newsletter
Fall 2019
BIWFC Participates in Pathways: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference
In September, the BIWFC participated in the Pathways 2019: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference held in Estes Park, Colorado. Hosted by Colorado State University's Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, the Pathways Conference focused on issues that arise as people and wildlife struggle to coexist in a sustainable and healthy manner.  The Institute hosted an exhibit table and sponsored a symposium on “Fertility Control to Mitigate Human-Wildlife Conflicts.” Our symposium presentations included:
Cheryl Asa, Advisory Board Chair of the AZA Reproductive Management Center
Celeste Carlisle, Conservation Science Program Consultant for Return to Freedom
Claire Wimpenny, Ecologist for the Australian Capital Territory Government
Dan Salkeld, Research Scientist for Colorado State University
Giovanna Massei, Discipline Leader on Wildlife Research for the United Kingdom's Animal and Plant Health Agency
Audrey Delsink, Wildlife Director of Humane Society International/Africa
All presentations can be viewed on our website .
BIWFC Exhibits at AFS/TWS Joint Conference
The BIWFC exhibited at the first ever joint American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society Conference held in Reno, Nevada from September 29 to October 3, 2019. This conference and networking event brought together approximately 5,000 students and professionals in wildlife and fisheries.
9th International Conference on Wildlife Fertility Control
BIWFC Welcomes Dr. Catherine Herbert to our Advisory Board
Dr. Catherine Herbert recently joined the BIWFC's Advisory Board. Dr. Herbert is an Associate Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, Australia. She has worked on the reproductive management of marsupials for the past twenty years, during which she has published 19 peer-reviewed journal articles. We welcome Dr. Herbert's expertise moving forward.
BIWFC Video Series
The BIWFC produced a video featuring Grace Kahler of the Humane Society of the United States reporting on the Platero Project. The Platero Project, founded in 2013, is a collaboration between the HSUS and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that assesses the feasibility of using fertility control to help manage the burro population in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area in northwestern Arizona. This four-year pilot project, which began in August 2017, is financed by an HSUS donor and a supplementary grant from the BLM, and is named for the Spanish Nobel Laureate Juan Ramon Jimenez's beautiful book about a faithful and friendly burro named Platero. Click here to watch the video.
Fertility Control Fact Sheets
Fact sheets are now accessible on the BIWFC website. Find information on frequently asked questions regarding fertility control, GonaCon, Native PZP, and immunocontraception in wild horses here .
Report from Kim Frank, Director of the SCC, on the grant to the Science and Conservation Center
The Science and Conservation Center held the first PZP Immunocontraception Conference August 7-9, 2019 in Billings Montana. The goal of the conference was to allow Non-Governmental (NGO) and government agency partners to speak together about their struggles and successes with complex multi-agency immunocontraception programs. The conference provided an opportunity for PZP users to meet, network, and learn from each other by sharing their project experiences. It was also an excellent opportunity to update non-profits, field office managers and specialists, and mid-level agency managers or program leads on the latest immunocontraceptive research.
We invited speakers from the various NGOs, BLM, USFS, researchers from several universities, and veterinarians, as well as representatives from international immunocontraceptive projects (Canada, Africa, and Romania). Speaker presentations included work with wild horses, urban deer, burros, bison and elephants. The conference began with the history of PZP, when Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick and Dr. John Turner started their work in Immunocontraception. This led into perspectives on wild horses as native or non-native, which we felt would be thought-provoking, especially alongside presentations about the genetics of wild horses. Other presentation subjects included peacebuilding and transforming social conflict in wildlife and conservation issues, government-supported fertility control research, analysis of aerial surveys, policy and population modeling, rangeland ecology, the role of sanctuaries, tribal management challenges, standardizing documentation, the EPA’s role, and new research.
We had 101 attendees who were able to network, share their ideas and stories and learn more about other projects going on both here and internationally, which made this a huge success and accomplishment. Many attendees' feedback described how grateful they were to be brought together with a diverse group of people from all over the world, sharing their struggles and successes. They commented on how this conference provided them with future resources and support. So many attendees loved the conference and asked to have another next year! This conference could not have happened without the generous support of the Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control. The presentations are a great resource that we will utilize for our Immunocontraception Training. The presentations can be viewed here .
Support for Public Policy & Educational Projects
The BIWFC seeks public policy research projects that advance the knowledge, acceptance and implementation of wildlife fertility control as a method of wildlife management throughout the world. The BIWFC goal is to support projects that will help the public and policy makers understand and evaluate existing policies on wildlife fertility control. Potential projects include: seminars, documentaries, and human dimension studies. More information can be found online .
IMPORTANT DATES
Pathways Africa, February 16-19, 2020
The BIWFC will sponsor a symposium on elephant immunocontraception at Pathways Africa 2020: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference and Training  in Limuru, Kenya.   The conference and training program is designed to address the myriad of issues that arise as people and wildlife struggle to coexist in a sustainable and healthy manner. Its mission is to increase professionalism and effectiveness in the Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management field.
International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, April 1-3, 2020
The BIWFC plans to attend the International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence held in Oxford, UK. This conference aims to be a interdisciplinary networking event allowing particpants to collaborate and better understand the different perspectives of human-wildlife conflicts.
IN THE NEWS
Black Bear Management in Florida
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee released their Black Bear Management Plan draft to the public for comment. The draft summarizes different management techniques, including fertility control. More information on the document can be found here .
GonaCon for Prairie Dogs
Prairie dogs are a keystone species but can also cause conflicts with ranchers and commercial development. According to the Wyoming Public Media , researchers are studying the effects of GonaCon on the prairie dog populations. This project was funded in part by the BIWFC.
Fertility Control in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
No Births in Assateague Wild Horse Population
The Inforum reported that park rangers plan to continue a birth control program in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. They plan to vaccinate mares that have been previously vaccinated but have since returned to fertilty. The goal is to reduce the need for future round-ups.
According to 47abc , the National Park Service concluded it's September 2019 population census confirming no births and one death among the horses on Assateague Island National Seashore. Population counts are done six times a year to monitor the population dynamics in support of the ongoing fertility control program.
Ongoing Urban Deer Contraception in Canada
Researchers in Oak Bay aim to see if immunocontraceptives could control deer populations. The British Columbia government is also distributing $100,000 for urban deer management programs, though the money must be matched locally. Read more about how this project could help shape strategies for managing urban wildlife across Canada.
Click here to view more articles
STAFF
Stephanie Boyles Griffin - Science and Policy Director
Monique Principi - Managing Director
Rachel Soroka - Program Assistant
Rosalie Lombardo - Communications Officer
Elizabeth Leitzell - Digital Media Specialist
Carolyn Rauch - Senior Meeting Specialist
For more information, please visit our website