October Program

Laramie Audubon Society Program
Wednesday, October 31 (yes, it’s Halloween night)
UW Berry Center, 10th & Lewis Streets, entrance faces north
(free parking along 10th St, south side of Lewis and in UW lot—free after 5pm)

6:30 pm Bird Chat & Refreshments in the lobby
7:00pm  Program begins in the auditorium

Effects of natural gas development on predation rates of sagebrush-obligate songbird nests by Matt Hethcoat. Matt is an M.S. student in the Coop Unit. Originally from western New York, Matt received his B.S. from Humboldt State University in Wildlife biology. Since graduating from Humboldt Matt has worked on research projects around the world, including critically endangered Macaws in Bolivia, endangered Loggerhead Shrikes in California, Fairy-Wrens in Australia, and a montane bird community in Borneo.  These experiences have focused Matt's interests in conservation research and questions pertaining to the reconciliation of wildlife conservation and human livelihoods. Broadly, his other interests include avian ecology, ecological and evolutionary traps, life history evolution, predator-prey interactions, sexual selection, and signalling theory.  Matt's research focuses on the effects of natural gas development on predation rates of sagebrush-obligate songbird nests. We are working to identify specific mechanisms that are driving predation patterns and hope to offer clear strategies for mitigating the impacts to songbirds breeding in habitats affected by energy development activities.