Doug Keinath to Speak on the Exposure of Animals to Development in Wyoming

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department classifies 156 species in Wyoming as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need.” But how do we begin to prioritize which are most in need of  limited conservation and research funds and protective efforts? Sometimes triage is necessary and those most exposed to development are most in need of our help. Doug Keinath, a Ph.D. student at the University of Wyoming and Lead Vertebrate Zoologist for the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database has developed tools to take the guesswork out of this task. By looking at species’ distributions and numbers, the various threats that they face, and the intensity of those threats, Doug has developed models to determine which species are most exposed to development in Wyoming. Is the Wyoming pocket gopher more exposed or the Greater Sage-Grouse? The spotted bat or the swift fox? Come and find out as Laramie Audubon kicks off its fall speakers program on September 26, 2012.