Gund is excited to host Dr. David Wilcove, as a UVM Burack Distinguished Lecturer.  On March 13 at 3:00pm, David will be presenting a lecture on: “Case of the Killer Cookie: Logging, Oil Palm, and Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast Asia”. His talk will discuss forest clearing for oil plan cropland throughout Southeast Asia, arguably the hottest of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.  David will explore the ecological impacts of both forestry and agriculture on the region’s fauna and then, based on some economic studies, argue that the situation is grim but far from hopeless. The talk will be Thursday at 3:00pm in the Frank Livak Ballroom in the Davis Center.  It will be followed by a reception in the Fireplace Lounge.

David is a Professor of Public Affairs and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. Prior to joining the faculty of Princeton University, he was senior ecologist for The Wilderness Society and Environmental Defense Fund, where he developed science-based strategies to protect endangered species. He is author of No Way Home: The Decline of the World’s Great Animal Migrations (2008), The Condor’s Shadow: The Loss and Recovery of Wildlife in America (1999), and numerous technical and popular articles in the fields of conservation biology, ornithology, and endangered species protection. He has served on the boards of directors of the Society for Conservation Biology, RARE Center for Tropical Conservation, American Bird Conservancy, Natural Areas Association, and New Jersey Audubon Society, as well as the editorial boards of Conservation Biology, Ecological Applications, and Issues in Ecology. In 2001, Professor Wilcove received the Distinguished Service Award of the Society for Conservation Biology in recognition of his work on behalf of endangered species.  He received a Ph.D. in biology from Princeton University (1985) and a B.S. from Yale University (1980). 

While at UVM, David will be lecturing, exploring research opportunities, and sharing some of his experiences and future research ideas.  David is bringing up his entire lab group; who are staying out in South Hero in hopes of getting some good birding in.  We’ll finish up David’s week with a mini-symposium with students from his lab group, graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers from UVM.