Established
in 1992 and under the Direction of Dr. Walter Boyce and Dr. Jonna
Mazet, the Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine,
U. C. Davis (WHC), is dedicated to balancing the needs of people,
wildlife, and the environment. The WHC tackles wildlife problems
across many landscapes and seascapes... oceans, deserts, mountains,
coastlines, and beyond. I met Dr. Walter Boyce on a fieldtrip tracking
the elusive mountain lion in our local mountains at Rancho Cuyamaca
State Park. I was fascinated with the challenging process of gathering
valuable information to better understand these magnificent cats.
With a growing population of both humans and lions and the limited
resources, pressure was mounting to determine how to balance the
needs of people and wildlife living in close proximity. Scientific
data was lacking and policy makers were having to make decisions
quickly. By collaring the lions, their primary prey - the mule deer
and the endangered big horn sheep, a better picture of how the lions
use the landscape began to evolve. Frequent satellite positions
relayed from the collars revealed the animals’ habits and
daily activities. Although I never saw a mountain lion that day,
we were able to pick up transmitter signals of one in close proximity.
I wondered how often hikers, horseback riders, campers, and rural
homeowners had been in close proximity to this amazing predator
and were totally unaware of its presence. We sometimes overlook
the fact that we are just a small part of the environment around
us. The southern California program brings together agencies such
as the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Department
of Parks and Recreation, and other stakeholders to solve problems.
I liked their approach so I joined the advisory board of the Wildlife
Health Center.
Scientific
conservation efforts are often single species focused … “save
the _____” but helping the environment is about more than
saving just one species. It is about an ecosystem... all of the
animals, the plants, the air, the water, the soil, and the people.
All too often environmental research reflects the interest of one
group – a non profit organization, a management agency, or
other independent parties. A conservation based group may not look
at issues important to industry and vice versa. The unintended consequences
are duplication in scientific efforts, lack of coordination of stakeholders,
and science that either sits on a library shelf or is bias for advocacy
purposes. The WHC bridges the gaps between science and policy, industry
and advocacy, problems and solutions – by getting key players
together at the same table in a neutral setting bringing the people
together to see the big picture. The WHC coordinates stakeholders
and directs objective science to answer stakeholder based conservation
questions. When conservation studies are completed the WHC brings
the players back together again to share the objective scientific
answers – in language that anyone on the street can understand
- no PhD required.