Lectures and Talks

Wildlife Wednesdays Free Science Lecture Series

Series Partners:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Geographic, Alaska Zoo

Lectures are FREE to the public, building opens at 6pm, lectures begin at 7pm.  Coffee and tea available at lectures.

Add our popular Widlife Wednesdays Free Science Lectures to your monthly calendar, starting on October 12!  These free science lectures are held at the Zoo Gateway Lecture Hall on each second Wednesday of the month from October through April.  Presenters discuss a variety of topics relating to wildlife research in Alaska.  These lectures are great for an older audience, adults with an interest in science or University students.  Species topics for this season will include musk oxen, polar bears, salmon, river otters and more!  Questions?  Contact Stephanie Hartman (Education Director) at (907) 346-2858, or slhartman@alaskazoo.org

2011/2012 Lecture Schedule:

  • OCTOBER 12 - Muskox Marvels: Strategies of an Ice-Age Survivor 
    • Dr. Patricia Reynolds, a wildlife ecologist with the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, talks about the natural history of muskoxen, their disappearance and return to Alaska, and exactly how they survive the long arctic winters in the far north.
  • NOVEMBER 9 - Genes, Nets and Tides: Genetics of Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon
    • What can we learn from fish DNA? A whole lot, it turns out. Tyler Dann, a fisheries geneticist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, will talk about how genetics helps inform management of the Bristol Bay sockeye fishery, including understanding where harvested fish come from and interestingly, how genes sometimes cross drainage divides.
  • DECEMBER 14 - The Endangered Belugas in Cook Inlet: New Information from Recent Studies
    • Cook Inlet belugas were listed as an endangered species in 2008. Since that time, research has been completed to better understand this small population of belugas that swim just off-shore from Anchorage. This presentation by Dr. Leslie Cornick with the Department of Environmental Science at Alaska Pacific University will provide an update on recent research efforts.
  • JANUARY 11 - Unexplored Ice: Polar Bear Research in the Chukchi Sea
    • Dr. Eric Regehr, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, discusses a new study of polar bears living on the remote sea ice between Alaska and Russia. Come learn about these amazing animals and their future in a changing world.
    • Don't miss out!  After the lecture there will be an optional behind-the-scenes visit to meet the Alaska Zoo polar bears!  Normal Alaska Zoo admission fees apply for the encounter.
  • FEBRUARY 8 - Wolves in Southwest Alaska: What are you eating?
    • Join Dominique Watts, biologist with the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges, as he discusses the ecology of wolves in southwest Alaska. Come learn about his ongoing studies of wolves and their relatively unique foraging strategies in this remote and little studied region of the state.
  • MARCH 14 - A Life Afield: Careers in Wildlife Management and Research
    • Mike Harrington, a research technician with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, will talk about his dream job assisting researchers with work on furbearer and big game species. Learn about what wildlife biologists do and the kind of training required in this special career-focused program. The USFWS and ADFG will provide information on internships and summer jobs. Youth of all ages encouraged to attend!
  • APRIL 11 - Dall Sheep on the Decline: Understanding Sheep Population Dynamics
    • Dr. Tom Lohuis, a research biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, shares his recent work aimed at understanding why Dall sheep in the Chugach have experienced a significant population decline. Learn about his fieldwork, and the ecology and population dynamics of our local sheep population.

For more information please contact Stephanie Hartman (Education Director) at (907) 346-2858, or slhartman@alaskazoo.org