RAS Spring Lecture 2023

We are delighted to have Dr. Paul D. Curtis as our guest speaker.  He is Professor of Wildlife Science in the Department of Natural Resources and Environment at Cornell University.  

Dr. Curtis specializes in human-wildlife conflicts in suburban, forested, and agricultural landscapes, wildlife fertility control, and resolving community-based wildlife issues.  He is an author on 135 research papers, including several specifically on black bears. Dr. Curtis is a co-author of the National Wildlife Control Training Program, and a Certified Wildlife Biologist® with The Wildlife Society.

Dr. Curtis states: "Management of black bears in New York State is a success story.  During the past decade, populations in the southern part of the state have grown, and bears have expanded their range northward.  Abundance of bears in the Adirondacks and northern NYS has remained relatively stable. Bears can now be seen in almost any NYS county, and they are becoming more abundant near suburban communities.  Consequently, conflicts between bears and people sometimes occur.  The most frequent concerns are damage to bird feeders, and bears rummaging through trash.  In this presentation, I will discuss bear biology, behavior, and ways to reduce potential human-bear conflicts."