On October 8, members and friends of the San Diego Chapter gathered at the San Diego Yacht Club for a multi-media presentation by wildlife biologist Jim Williams featuring charismatic large mammals with both sharp teeth and hooves. Jim shared unique and exciting wildlife footage from his decades of work as a wildlife biologist and some stories from his book Path of the Puma published by Patagonia Inc.
We learned about the exciting efforts now underway to protect important wildlife habitat connectivity in the Transboundary Rocky Mountains of the U.S. and Canada. Recently a crisis of wildlife habitat loss due to rapid population growth and residential subdivisions is fragmenting important winter ranges and open spaces between public lands. These habitats are critical to deer, elk, and antelope migrations, and seasonal large carnivore movements. Jim explained about a collaborative new coalition of 29 land trusts that are working together to help keep working agricultural families on the land and permanently protect open spaces for wildlife. The program is called “Keep it Connected” and is hosted by the Heart of the Rockies Initiative of Missoula, Montana. As a wildlife biologist in central Montana, Jim managed big game populations ranging from pronghorn antelope and elk to mountain goats, worked with private agricultural landowners on wildlife tolerance issues, developed new conservation easements, wildlife management areas and other habitat conservation projects.
Photos courtesy of Lonnie Kaufman. Upper Left: Jim Williams at the podium, Upper Right: David Press LM'18, Marion Renk-Rosenthal, Steve Elkins FN'16 Southern California Chapter Chair, and Char Glacy MN'09. Lower Left and Right: members and friends enjoying the outside deck at the San Diego Yacht Club.
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