Barrows Conservation Lecture Series

Jane Goodall - First Recipient of the Cincinnati Zoo's WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AWARD

The 20th annual Barrows Conservation Lecture Series will feature an exciting lineup of internationally acclaimed scientists, explorers and conservationists. Since 1993, the series has brought a slate of esteemed naturalists and scientists to Cincinnati to address wildlife issues and global conservation efforts.

The Barrows Conservation Lecture Series is made possible by the ongoing support of the family of Winifred & Emil Barrows.

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2012 Barrows Conservation Lecture Series Schedule

Dr. Amy Dickman Wednesday, March 21
Dr.  Sharon Negri Wednesday, April 25
Dr. Shirley Strum Wednesday, May 9
Sharon Matola* Wednesday, May 23

* Winner of the Cincinnati Zoo's 2012 Wildlife Conservation Award

 

Lecture Details

Dr. Amy Dickman Wednesday, March 21
Topic:  Money, Myths and Man-eaters: Resolving human-carnivore conflict in Tanzania’s Ruaha landscape
Video: Amy on Lion Conservation 

Amy has over 13 years experience working on large African carnivores. She completed a BS in Zoology, and then joined Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. There, she met Laurie Marker and   conducted research with her for nearly six years at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.

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Much of the work focused upon mitigating the intense conflict between cheetahs and farmers, and Amy became very interested in the issue of conflict and its resolution. She left Namibia to pursue her MS and PhD, both focusing on human-carnivore conflict in Tanzania’s Ruaha landscape. In 2009, Amy became the Kaplan Senior Research Fellow in Felid Conservation at Oxford University and established the Ruaha Carnivore Project.  The Ruaha landscape is one of the most important areas in the world for large carnivores, but to date has received very little attention in terms of scientific research. Furthermore, there is very intense human-carnivore conflict in this area, which results in high levels of carnivore killing. The Ruaha Carnivore Project is gathering data on carnivore ecology across the landscape, and developing community-driven techniques for effective conflict mitigation. It is also very focused upon training young Tanzanian scientists, so that they become effective cat conservationists in the future.

So far, Amy has published over 25 scientific papers and book chapters on large carnivore ecology and conservation. She is a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, the African Lion Working Group, and the Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration. She also helped create the Global Cheetah Action Plan, Regional Conservation Strategies for cheetahs and African wild dogs in Eastern and Southern Africa, and National Action Plans for cheetahs and other carnivores in Kenya, Tanzania and Southern Sudan. In 2011, she was awarded the prestigious Rabinowitz-Kaplan Prize for the Next Generation in Wild Cat Conservation, in recognition of her contributions so far to felid conservation.

 

Dr.  Sharon Negri Wednesday, April 25
Topic:  Why Cougars Matter:  An Ecological and Cultural Perspective

Dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild places, Dr. Sharon Negri founded the Mountain Lion Foundation in 1986 and served as its Director until 1990.  Today she directs WildFutures, a non-profit organization that works to bridge the gap between science and conservation, and promotes an understanding of large carnivores through education and community involvement.

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Dr. Negri was instrumental in the passage of the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 and co-edited the book Cougar Ecology and Conservation and co-produced the award winning film "On Nature's Terms:  People and Predators Coexisting in Harmony".

 

Dr. Shirley Strum Wednesday, May 9
Topic:  Darwin's Monkey: smart, sophisticated, and adaptable.

Dr. Shirley C. Strum divides her time between the University of California, San Diego where she is Professor of Anthropology, and Kenya, where she directs the Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project (UNBP).  Her 40 year long-term study of wild baboons has been featured in National Geographic and in numerous natural history documentaries. 

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The long-term research destroyed many myths about these much maligned primates. Rather than aggressive brutes, baboons expertly manage their complex world using their intelligence, flexibility, and social skills.  This adaptability is the key to their success in the increasingly humanized landscapes of the Anthropocene.  Dr. Strum will use the history of these baboons to illustrate the emerging conservation realities of the past four decades and show how understanding baboon behavior helped create innovative conservation and management techniques.

UNBP motto "Science to understand our past; conservation to safeguard our future."  See www.BaboonsRUs.com

 

Sharon Matola Wednesday, May 23
Topic:  Thinking (and playing) out of the box:  Conservation Strategies That Rock!

If you really want an audience to embrace biodiversity conservation, Sharon Matola, Founding Director of the Belize Zoo, believes that you need to engage people in fun and creative ways.

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Highly successful, Matola’s innovative techniques have made a significant impact throughout Belize. During her presentation, Matola discusses her creative planning process and shares some of her fun and engaging techniques.

 

All lectures will take place at 7 p.m., in the Cincinnati Zoo's Frisch's Theater, Harold C. Schott Education Center.

Individual Ticket Prices:
* Zoo Member and Volunteers- $10
* Non-members - $12

Purchase Tickets

For more information or questions please call (513) 487-3318.

 

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