Photo by Melanie Hill
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, a group of more than 20听students gathered in CU Museum of Natural History鈥檚 Biolounge for the inaugural meeting of the university鈥檚 new Wildlife Club, a developing group with the intent to foster respect and on-the-ground solutions for coexisting with local flora and fauna.听
While the specifics have not yet fully been detailed, as the group is still in its infancy and desires some infrastructure from new members, a main objective of club founder Melanie Hill is to 鈥渟upport local stakeholders through a number of stewardship, outreach听and education opportunities for all types of wildlife in the area, encouraging safe ways to deal with biodiversity in the fauna rich Boulder Valley.鈥澨�
Students discussed wanting to bring in speakers and instructors to teach the group before they embark on conservation and education and outreach missions themselves. Some want to engage in citizen science and video awareness campaigns. Hill and others previously involved in similar projects remarked this club could be a great vehicle for internship opportunities.听
鈥淭he further I delve into the issues we're facing right now in terms of global species conservation, the more I come to understand not only how crucial our coexistence is but also how critical a role education must play in solving the most pressing environmental problems of today,鈥澨齭aid new club member Nicole Schroeter, a freshman studying听ecology and environmental biology.
鈥淚 see this club as the perfect intersection of wild species and urban spaces, working to mitigate wildlife-human conflict through a variety of hands-on research and outreach programs.鈥�
The spread of different majors and backgrounds had some variety, from environmental biology to journalism to veteran zookeepers. Despite this, a large concentration have active interest in the environment and the natural world. For future members, Hill assures that this club was founded for 鈥渆veryone and anyone,鈥澨齬egardless of background or field. All that is required is interest in fortifying and protecting biodiversity and the community.听
鈥淚 had high hopes,听of course, but it was just really exciting seeing people actually show up and interested and grateful for this opportunity. That鈥檚 exactly what we wanted,鈥� said Hill over pretzels and cookies in the wake of a successful meeting.听
A CU alum, Hill completed CU鈥檚 graduate program with a master鈥檚 in media and public engagement in the spring of 2018. Her background in the environment, and impetus of action, stems from professional experience working with the Wild Foundation鈥攁 wildlife conservation nonprofit based in North Boulder.听
One particular local species that Melanie discussed was the Colorado black bear, which several students in the crowd confirmed to have seen roaming in their neighborhoods. Learning ways to develop mutually safe and environmentally conscious solutions to the problem of black bears moving into the city is one thing the group may attempt to tackle.听
Currently, the club is holding leadership meetings to discern future regular meetings, that will likely meet once a month. For interested students, follow the group on 辞谤听.
