course material

1. Urban wildlife conservation
Read the material provided (use as sources as well) and answer the following: Readings for
questions 1-3: Chapter 4-5 and Urban biodiversity gains new converts, Cities are hotspots
for threatened species & Predicting native landscape preferences.1. Planning for urban
biodiversity: The Ives et al. article argues that cities can play an important role in the
conservation of threatened species, particularly plants. Should this be a priority for urban
planners? How could it be done, given that land in urban areas is always prioritized for
other uses?2. Urban Citizen and Student Research: The “Urban Biodiversity Gains New
Converts” article describes the Urban Barcode Project. What other examples of citizen or
student science projects are out there in urban areas? Do you think these programs are
valuable, and if so, why?3. Lawns: Imagine that you’re in charge of a program whose goal is
to persuade homeowners to convert their lawns to native plants. How would the “Predicting
Native Plant” article inform the program activities? What activities would you propose
doing to meet the program goals? Some information for question 4 can be found in chapters
3&64. Public Outreach and Education: The need for public outreach and education in urban
wildlife conservation is a theme that we’ll be returning to over the course of the semester.
Your readings this week opened up the possibilities of many types of public outreach on
many different topics. What sorts of things should you consider when creating a public
outreach/educational program? You can use specific examples (even made-up ones), or use
more general terms, but think of this as starting to create a list of important points to
consider when doing work of this nature.#Urban #wildlife #conservation