Researcher to discuss mule deer migration routes during Bighorn Canyon talk

Bus service to Lovell available

Posted 2/13/20

UPDATE: This program has been canceled.

Matthew Kauffman, a University of Wyoming professor and wildlife researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey, will speak in Lovell next week as part of an Earth Day Speaker Series.

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Researcher to discuss mule deer migration routes during Bighorn Canyon talk

Bus service to Lovell available

Posted

(UPDATE: Bighorn Canyon officials announced Feb. 18 that "due to circumstances outside of his control," Matt Kauffman has canceled his Feb. 20 talk in Lovell. Organizers are hoping to reschedule, perhaps in the spring.)

Matthew Kauffman, a University of Wyoming professor and wildlife researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey, will speak in Lovell next week as part of an Earth Day Speaker Series.

Kauffman’s talk at the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area’s Visitor Center is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20.

The American West harbors vast landscapes still capable of supporting long-distance ungulate migrations, event organizers say. Herds of big game migrate up to 150 miles one-way across rugged landscapes, which are important seasonal habitats. Such movements present a conservation challenge because they require animals to cross multiple-use lands — some of which are changing rapidly. As a result, ungulate migration is difficult to manage and conserve.

However, recent research on ungulate migrations has enhanced the understanding of the benefits of migration and the threats faced. In particular, detailed movement analyses indicate that mule deer migrate along with spring green-up — a phenomenon referred to as “surfing the green wave.” New research is also emerging to help reveal the importance of this “surfing,” how beneficial it is to migrating ungulates and the factors that influence how well animals are able to surf, event organizers say.

At next week’s talk, Kauffman will discuss this research within the context of the Red Desert to Hoback migration — the world’s longest mule deer migration. He will describe how new research, new conservation tools, and new ways of communicating science are bringing people, agencies, and NGOs together to make such journeys easier for migrating ungulates. The scientific developments will be framed within the context of the importance of public and private land management for the maintenance of big game migration corridors.

In partnership with Powell Valley Community Education (PVCE) and through a grant from the Wyoming Humanities Council, a bus will be available to bring participants from Powell to Lovell for the program. The bus will leave from the Yellowstone Building parking lot at Northwest College at 5:45 p.m.

If interested in riding the bus, contact Leslie Bigham at 307-754-6469 to reserve a seat.

The talk is part of a series of events being held at Bighorn Canyon in conjunction with the 50th anniversity of Earth Day, all themed around the importance of public lands.

Yellowstone National Park Senior Wildlife Biologist Doug Smith is set to speak on March 19 with an April 9 panel discussion wrapping up the series. The Powell-Lovell bus service will be available for each event.

For additional information, visit the PVCE website at nwc.edu/pvce/ or contact Christy Fleming, chief of interpretation at Bighorn Canyon, at 307-548-5402.

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