OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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CORVALLIS - A pilot project to promote wildlife conservation and research that began three years ago in Oregon is on the verge of a major expansion that could soon make it a force to coordinate conservation efforts worldwide between universities, zoos, interest groups and government agencies.
The original effort began as a collaboration of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University, the Oregon Zoo in Portland and Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., and was called the Northwest Consortium for Wildlife Conservation Research. It has already expanded its programs, helped promote education and research, and will soon hold its third annual conference on Feb. 22-23 at OSU, discussing everything from blue whale movements to ecotourism in Botswana and rehabilitation of owls.
The new program, a non-profit organization to be called the Wildlife Conservation Consortium, or WCC, is now developing a plan and seeking sponsors to expand its operations across the Pacific Northwest and eventually the nation.
"A wealth of knowledge and skill in the field of conservation is available at universities, zoos and wildlife agencies, but this treasure house of resources is largely untapped due to lack of an effective communication structure," said Dr. Ursula Bechert, a professor and doctor of veterinary medicine at OSU who helped pioneer all these initiatives.
"Our pilot project here in Oregon was highly successful, and new groups that have asked to join our effort include the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, and the N.W. Trek Wildlife Park," Bechert said. "We're ready to expand our efforts in research, educational training programs, habitat preservation and other initiatives on a wider basis."
Among the goals of the new program:
At OSU, initiatives in the College of Veterinary Medicine have created programs of zoo and wildlife medicine. New internships and fellowships have been developed in collaboration with other institutions and organizations.
Research is diverse. Consortium scientists are measuring cortisol levels in captive polar bears to determine the relationship between stress and the performance of stereotypic behavior. To ensure stable populations of elk in Oregon, studies hope to determine the impact of low selenium and vitamin E levels on their health and reproduction. OSU and the Oregon Zoo are determining therapeutic dosages of anti-inflammatory drugs for use in captive African and Asian elephants. Several agencies are trying to re-populate the western pond turtle in parts of Washington state where these animals have disappeared, often due to bullfrog predation. OSU, the National Institutes of Health and Wildlife Safari are using brown bears in a comparative study of atherosclerosis, a disease that bears do not get.
Consortium members are kept up to date on disparate funding opportunities for critical wildlife research all over the world, ranging from studies to investigate declining hippopotamus populations in parts of Africa to the protection of fish and aquatic ecosystems in Washington and efforts to reduce tiger poaching in Russia and India.
The upcoming conference will outline some of the consortium's recent accomplishments and expansion plans for the future. Research projects will be discussed on many topics, including wildlife law enforcement, hibernation in grizzly bears, and new applications of geographic information systems for use in wildlife conservation. The conference is designed for people working in wildlife conservation research or education. More information about the events, registration, fees and other issues can be obtained by contacting the OSU Office of Conferences and Special Events, telephone 541-737-6439, or online.
Ursula Bechert, 541-737-6386
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