Cities are built for people, but increasingly house many species of wildlife. These species can range from the familiar, like squirrels and pigeons, to the unusual, like hawks and coyotes. To learn to live with these animals, a scientific approach is needed. In Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States, Dr. Seth Magle and his team have conducted research for ten years on urban mammals using a unique long-term approach. He will describe their work, and some of its findings. Their ultimate goal, though, is to learn about urban wildlife species not just in Chicago, but worldwide. For that reason, they have also designed a pioneering research network, the Urban Wildlife Information Network, where partners all across North America collaborate to collect long-term data on many different species in their cities. This network is used to connect the public to local nature and help people learn about wildlife in urban regions. The hope is that this network will increase awareness of the importance of urban nature, and provide information critical to creating greener, wilder cities, in which humans and wildlife can co-exist.

This event is a part of the Animal Behavior Society’s Annual Conference, Behaviour 2019, and will feature a public outreach fair prior to the program. Stop by between 9 am and 1 pm to take a look at exciting animal behavior research happening across the country!