SASKATCHEWAN — Each month, the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP) hosts a free webinar with top-rated speakers in a variety of fields of study. For June, the Native Prairie Speaker Series will have two webinars that have a focus on wildlife, landscapes and geology.
The first webinar, set to take place on June 16, will feature Ryan Fisher and Jordan Rustad, talking about the Regina Urban Wildlife Project. As urban areas are one of the fastest-growing ecosystems throughout the world, this project has taken a look at how the ecosystem and wildlife habitat has changed since settlement in and around Regina. There has also been a recent project that monitors how birds and mammals respond to urbanization in the area using Automated Recording Units and trail cameras.
Fisher is currently the Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, conducting research on prairie birds for more than 20 years. He has been able to research a variety of avians, from songbirds to owls and hawks throughout southern Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Rustad has had an interest in birds and conservation even in her years as a high school student. She recently completed her Master of Science in Biology, with her research focused on urban wildlife in Regina. Rustad currently works for Nature Saskatchewan as the Conservation Coordinator, working with the Last Mountain Bird Observatory, Important Bird Area/ Key Biodiversity Area, Bird Friendly Regina and has helped with the expansion of the Motus network in Saskatchewan.
On June 17, the second webinar will have Dr. Dale Leckie speaking, a geologist who worked at the Geological Survey of Canada and as chief geologist at Nexen. He will speak on how local geology has shaped the habitats of many prairie animals and how the lives of the wildlife are closely related to the landscapes they reside in.
Dr. Leckie is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth, Energy and Environment at the University of Calgary and is the author of three best-selling books encouraging people to get out and explore western Canada.
Both webinars are free to attend. To register for either session, .
