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We are pleased to host the Wildlife Wednesdays Free Science Lecture Series at the Alaska Zoo Gateway Hall! Stay warm and enrich your knowledge of Alaska's wildlife. Join us this winter on select second Wednesdays from October through April in the Alaska Zoo Gateway Hall. Each talk begins at 7pm and covers a topic focused on wildlife of the Great Land - Alaska. The talks are approximately 45 minutes with questions and answers. Lectures are FREE to the public. Free refreshments available. Presenters are from partnering organizations: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, USFWS Migratory Birds, Wind River Bear Institute, Bird TLC and Defenders of Widlife. Door prizes by partner Alaska Geographic. ASL interpretation is available upon request in advance, reach out to us here if you would like to have an interpreter present (several days notice appreciated!).The Wind River Bear Institute is on a mission to advance the use of Wildlife K-9 dogs to reduce human-wildlife conflict and make the world safer for bears and people. Director, Nils J. Pedersen, of Fairbanks will present on our 30-year history of contributions to the world of non-lethal bear deterrence, including development of Bear Spray, principles of Bear Shepherding, and the creation of the Karelian Bear Dog Wildlife K-9. Wildlife K-9s are keystone to our approach to human-bear conflict management and Pedersen will have his Wildlife K-9 Team present at the talk for attendants to meet and discuss how these friendly and engaging dogs can be used to help their Handlers find bears and get them out of bad places, prevent conflicts with people, and reduce the need for lethal bear management practices.
Presenter Bio: Nils J. Pedersen grew up with sled dogs in Fairbanks, Alaska. He understood the utility of working dogs for bear deterrence at a young age because of a photo that his grandpa showed him of one of his Greenland Husky dogs chasing a young polar bear away from camp. Pedersen began working with the WRBI in 2011 as the trainer and handler of “Soledad”. Together they have worked to address human-bear conflict issues with all three species of North American bear: brown, black, and polar bear. Pedersen completed a M.Sc. degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2019. His research focused on human-grizzly bear conflict in the North Slope oilfields of Alaska and the use of Forward Looking Infrared-equipped drones for grizzly and polar bear den detection in the Arctic. Pedersen Directs the Wind River Bear Institute in Fairbanks, Alaska. In his spare time he guides for Arctic Dog Adventure Co., an ecotourism dog mushing company he founded with his partner Lisbet Norris.
Photo from the Wind River Institute website, https://beardogs.org/kbd-puppies/
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4731 O'Malley Rd, Anchorage, AK, United States, Alaska 99507
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