First Tuesday: Fence Ecology with Wenjing Xu
Watch Wenjing Xu's presentation HERE.
When: Tuesday, November 12 at 7pm, doors at 5pm for food/drink.
Where: Twisp River Tap House (Get Directions)
Note: this "First Tuesday" is on the second Tuesday of November.
Hindered Hooves and the Wires that Bind Them
We've been thinking about fences a lot lately, as we remove old ones (when they are no longer necessary) and install new ones (to keep livestock out of ecologically sensitive areas and farm fields). We know that in some places, fences are necessary. We also know that they influence animal movement behavior and habitat use.
So we've asked ecologist Wenjing Xu to discuss her work on ungulate (hooved mammal) migration in a changing world, with specific reference to her observations on how animals interact with and adjust to fences.
Wenjing Xu, is based in Germany so we will record her talk ahead of time and premiere it at the Tap House. After the screening, Conservation Project Manager Daniel Senner will give an update on the state of fencing on Sunny M Ranch.
Doors will open at 5pm, presentation at 7pm. The Tap House will be offering a limited menu of delicious food and drink on a night when they are typically closed. Support a local business by purchasing a drink, a snack, or dinner! This event is free and open to the public. Reach out to Bridger with any questions about the event.
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Wenjing Xu is a postdoctoral researcher at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt, Germany. Using behavioral ecology, spatial ecology, and land use science, her research examines diverse aspects of movement of life. From the Asian highlands to the American West and East Africa, her research system lies in rangelands where humans, livestock, and wildlife have coexisted for millennia. A significant part of her work focuses on the social and ecological complexities of linear infrastructures, such as fences, which form barriers for many wide-ranging animals. Wenjing obtained her PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, and her M.S. degree in geography at the University of Georgia.