On a warm, sunny day in early March, a dozen student members of the University of Vermont (UVM) Wildlife and Fisheries Society paid a rare and much anticipated visit to a black bear den in southern Vermont. Escorted by state biologists and game wardens from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, the group checked in on a GPS-collared bear marked as part of a study on the potential impacts of wind energy development on the species in the Green Mountain National Forest. 

The young male bear was more awake than his visitors expected as it bolted away from the den area. While the students observed, wildlife personnel quickly and safely tranquilized the bear to collect measurements and check on the condition of the GPS collar. 

For a UVM honors thesis project, Caitlin Drasher, senior wildlife and fisheries biology undergraduate in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, has analyzed the collared bear data to look for trends in how different road types impact bear movement on the landscape. After she graduates in May, Drasher will work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservaion to help manage human-bear conflicts.

"I had the opportunity to volunteer with Vermont Fish and Wildlife on this project throughout my time at UVM and have learned a great deal about this study, black bear ecology, and various aspects of wildlife research,” said Drasher, a Vermonter, who is president of the UVM Wildlife and Fisheries Society.  "This study is providing Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologists with valuable data on bear movement and behavior." 

The den excursion was part of the ongoing study by the state to evaluate potential impacts of the wind energy development project on the area’s black bear population, especially changes in beechnut foraging behavior. Biologists will collect bear movement, habitat use, and behavior data during pre-construction, construction, and post-construction phases of the wind project. Currently the project is in the beginning of the construction phase, and researchers have collected data from more than two dozen collared bears. 

“The state’s black bear project has provided a unique opportunity for our wildlife students to gain insights on the research process – how projects are designed and implemented and how the results will be used to better manage species and populations,” said Associate Professor Jed Murdoch, director of the undergraduate Wildlife and Fisheries Biology program in the Rubenstein School and advisor to the student Wildlife and Fisheries Society.  “Involvement in the project has allowed our students to connect the concepts and theories they learn in the classroom to on-the-ground wildlife research and problem solving right here in our backyard.” 

Senior wildlife and fisheries biology major Ben Szydlowski, who will work on a black bear project in Tennessee after he graduates in May, also participated in the bear den visit.

“It was an extremely unique experience,” said  Szydlowski, a native of New Jersey. “We were able to see a black bear up close and observe the work that goes into managing this species. We witnessed the entire process from start to finish that the biologists use to tranquilize the bear, take measurements, and then safely place the bear out of harm’s way.”

“It’s always a treat for our staff to involve UVM students in our work,” said Tom Rogers of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. “They showed a high level of professionalism in the field and were all extremely respectful of the animal we were working with. This group represents the future of conservation in Vermont, so we’re happy to involve them in our research and to continue the great partnership between the Rubenstein School and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.”