On Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) will host the second installment in their free environmental speaker series entitled: “Connecting California’s Mountain Lions to be discussed by wildlife ecologist
International and local conservation biologist and wildlife ecologist, Dr. Anthony J. Giordano, will discuss the ecology of mountain lions including how they represent a wildlife conservation success story, mountain lion-human conflicts and their potential as a “tool” for connecting wild places.
The mountain lion is North America’s largest “small cat” and much like the wolf and grizzly bear, has been vilified as a pest to the livestock industry. Historically ranging from coast to coast, today’s mountain lion populations are moving eastward and reclaiming areas they formerly inhabited. Although California has the largest state population of mountain lions in the U.S., the future of mountain lions in California depends on the ability to make room for them as the human population grows. In Southern California in particular, mountain lions are threatened by encroachment of development into wilderness areas, increased demand for dwindling water supplies, and a fragmented landscape caused by the state’s expanding transportation infrastructure.
This free community lecture will take place in the Santa Paula Room at the Poinsettia Pavilion. The event is free but reservations are encouraged. To RSVP, visit www.venturahillsides.org/events. For more information, call VHC 643-8044.
Anthony J. Giordano possesses more than 22 years of experience working in the field on global conservation issues. He holds a double B.S. from Long Island University at Southampton College in Biology (Zoology) and Environmental Science (Biology), a M.S. in Conservation Biology and Applied Ecology from Frostburg State, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife science and Management from Texas Tech. Currently he is based in Ventura, CA, where he directs S.P.E.C.I.E.S. (http://www.carnivores.org), a global carnivore conservation organization, and is President of the Wild Felid Research and Management Association (http://www.wildfelid.org).
