Speaker: Selina Heppell, Department Head, Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Science, Oregon State University

Topic: Think before you leap: considering species conservation strategies in the Anthropocene

Habitat modifications, captive rearing and release, "assisted migration" - these are just a few of the many mitigation strategies that can be proposed to save wild species that are endangered due to  the challenges of our changing world. Recovery strategies range from “passive” efforts that promote population recovery through natural selection and adaptation to more "active" strategies that directly manipulate animals (and even their genes). How do conservation scientists consider the feasibility and likelihood of success of these options, as well as the potential for unintended consequences? Dr. Heppell will provide words of caution and optimism for evidence-based recovery planning, and considerations for all of us that support species conservation.