Coyotes are topic of March 4 panel discussion

Coyotes are topic of March 4 panel discussion

STONE RIDGE, February 18, 2010 -- A trio of researchers who have investigated the habits and habitats of the Eastern Coyote will discuss their findings at a program to be held Thursday, March 4 at 4:30 p.m., in the Student Lounge in Vanderlyn Hall, SUNY Ulster, Stone Ridge.

“Wile E. Coyote In Your Backyard: What You Should Know About Canis latrans,” will be sponsored by the Catskill Institute for the Environment (CIE). The program is free and the public is most welcome.

For information and weather confirmation, call 845-687-5231.

The panel will include Dr. Roland Kays, Curator of Mammals at the NYS Museum, who will speak on “New York’s Coyote/Coydog/Coywolf: What is it and how did it get here?;” Dan Bogan, Ph.D. candidate, Cornell University, discussing “Suburban coyote behavioral ecology: Implications for ecology and management;” and Robin Holevinski, Ph.D. candidate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, who will address “Foraging Ecology and Population Status of Eastern Coyotes.”

Dr. Kays is the Curator of Mammals at the New York State Museum where he studies the ecology and evolution of temperate and tropical carnivores. He is the co-author of a recent paper on coyote-wolf hybridization, and of the Mammals of North America (Princeton University Press Field Guide, 2009).

Bogan has studied coyote behavioral ecology since 2001. His current research addresses coyote behavior and management recommendations for suburban landscapes.

Holevinski worked as a wildlife biologist with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for several years before pursuing her doctoral research on eastern coyotes. Her presentation will focus on assessing coyote kill rates of white-tailed deer using GPS collar technology, and determining coyote population status with the use of non-invasive genetic techniques.

The CIE, established in 1998, is a consortium of representatives of colleges, institutions and individuals that coordinates symposia and special programming to promote environmental awareness, education and scientific cooperation in the Catskill region. For more information, contact Dr. Morton (Sam) Adams, chairman, madams@mail.nysed.gov, or go to www.catskillinstitute.org.