Project WILD's Earth Month 2023!
Celebrate the WILD Earth all month with our webinar series
designed to bring real-world wildlife management to your learning space
April 5, 2023 - 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Scales and Slime: Exploring the Roles of Amphibians and Reptiles
Speaker: Kerry Wixted, Amphibian & Reptile and Invasive Species Manager at AFWA
Amphibians and reptiles, collectively known as herpetofauna, are oft forgotten or overlooked taxa. Learn about the importance of herpetofauna for ourselves and for our ecosystems as well as neat adaptations, life cycles, and facts about these fascinating creatures. This talk will also cover the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) and how to promote herpetofaunal conservation within your ecosystems.
Kerry Wixtend is the Amphibian, Reptile, and Invasive Species Program Manager for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Prior to her current position, Kerry has worked on education and outreach initiatives in Maryland, including Project WILD, and loves to teach about traditionally unloved wildlife.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS VIDEO RECORDING
April 12, 2023 - 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Win-Win Opportunities: Nature-based solutions to help people and wildlife
Speaker: Jacob Blandford, Climate Adaptation Manager at AFWA
Fish, wildlife, and plants provide services that benefit people, such as food, clean air, drinking water, and shade on a sunny day. Proper management of these natural resources can help us address some of the problems we are facing today, such as climate change. Using nature to address societal problems is known as “Nature-based Solutions” and these win-win situations provide benefits to both people and animals. In this webinar, Jacob will explain how flowers, beavers, and oysters are some of our best allies in the effort to adapt to climate change.
Jacob Blandford is the Climate Adaptation Program Manager for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. He aims to help states incorporate climate change adaptation into fish, wildlife, and habitat management efforts in order to sustain healthy populations of animals in a changing climate.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS VIDEO RECORDING
April 19, 2023 - 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Renewable Energy Development
Renewable energy is a necessary component in the strategy to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, renewables are not without their own shortcomings and, like all human activities, can have adverse impacts on wildlife. In the presentation, we will discuss types of renewable energy, their pros and cons as they relate to wildlife, and what we can do to promote wildlife conservation in the face of rapid increases of renewable energy development.
Dr. Meaghan Gade (she/her) is AFWA’s Energy and Wildlife Program Manager, where she coordinates with state agencies to navigate energy development and wildlife and habitat conflicts. Before joining AFWA, Meaghan was a research scientist studying how amphibians and reptiles deal with land use and climate change.
Register here for Renewable Energy Development
April 26, 2023 - 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
How Soil Health Impacts a Greater Ecosystem
We all understand soil helps grow the food we eat, but healthy soils impact water, air, and wildlife resources across the landscape. Learn how different farming practices play a role in conservation, and what you can look for next time you are driving through the countryside.
Kalina Vatave is the Agriculture Policy Program Manager at AFWA. She has a background in soil science and environmental policy which she uses to advocate for the state fish and wildlife agencies in Washington, D.C. Often referring to herself as a “dirt nerd”, soil health is her favorite topic, especially among farmers.
Register here for How Soil Health Impacts a Greater Ecosystem