Why Research Needs Outreach (And Outreach Needs Research) in the 21st Century: A story of Atlanta's Wildlife

Join Dr. Michel Kohl from the University of Georgia for a research seminar where he will be discussing his ongoing work with urban wildlife in Atlanta that address the integration of research and extension. 

Abstract: Over 8 billion people now live on planet Earth, an increase of 2.5 billion in just the 70 years.  Not only has the number of people changed, but where they live have also shifted dramatically. In the 1950’s, 2/3 of the world lived in rural communities.  Today, nearly 60% of the population globally (and 82% in the United States) live in urban areas. This shift has driven significant changes in human-wildlife interactions and conflicts in urban areas leading to focus in wildlife research. However, this leads to questions about what we do with that information once we have it. Building on my experience with our WildlifeAtlanta Project, I will highlight how we are bridging the gap between research and outreach to build more wildlife-friendly cities, using information from wildlife distribution, human-wildlife conflicts, and human values and perceptions.  Within this context, I will focus on urban coyotes as a case species due to the increased public and media interest regarding fearful human reactions to coyotes and strong believes in how the species should be managed in these areas.