Warner College of Natural Resources

A 53-year study from our Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology reveals devastating declines in African elephants across the continent. From 1964-2016: ?? Forest elephants: ↓ 90% ?? Savanna elephants: ↓ 70% ?? Overall decline: ↓ 77% While many populations have vanished – due to ivory poaching, human population growth, and wilderness conversion crowding out elephants – some regions like Botswana show hope with effective conservation efforts. Tailored, local approaches are the key to stabilizing or growing populations. The study "shines a light on how quickly even something as big and noticeable as elephants can just disappear," said CSU Professor George Wittemyer, who is also the chair of the scientific board of Save the Elephants. This research — the most comprehensive to date — will guide smarter decisions to protect these gentle giants before it’s too late. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gqggYnsC

CSU researchers are leading the way in making tourism more meaningful for travelers and the places they visit. ???? Warner College of Natural Resources and CSU College of Health and Human Sciences experts break down some tourism trends ?? Sustainable tourism: Focuses on long-term environmental, economic and social sustainability. Supporting local economies and promoting cultural awareness are key to sustainable tourism in addition to minimizing environmental impact. ?? Ecotourism: Appreciating and conserving nature and wildlife; and reducing environmental impact. ?? Volunteerism: Often intersects with ecotourism and sustainable tourism. Travelers engage in community service projects, such as teaching, conservation work or building infrastructure in developing areas with the goal of having a meaningful experience that benefits the host community. ?? All three types of tourism involve an educational component. Tourists typically gain cultural or ecological knowledge or learn a new skill. Our Warner College of Natural Resources?launched one of the original natural resource tourism programs in the state and maintains the largest program today. The Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University offers a?natural resource tourism undergraduate degree?and a?Master of Tourism Management degree. Learn more about tourism trends: https://col.st/ShWLX

WTF is GIS? To put it simply, GIS – Geographic Information Systems – is used to create, manage, analyze, and map data, and it can be used for a variety of creative and scientific purposes, including natural resources. This is why many Warner students decide to minor in GIS, and some even take it a step further by interning with Geospatial Centroid at CSU! ?? Rio Teuber | Human Dimensions of Natural Resources major with a minor in Geospatial Information Science for Natural Resources | As a Geospatial Centroid Intern, Rio researched the history of trail development in Fort Collins and developed a GIS Story Map to visualize the evolution of the city’s trail network. ?? Connor Siegfreid, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability major with a minor in Geospatial Information Systems for Natural Resources | Connor's favorite project was working with the Natural Resource Ecology Lab and USDA to detect the total count of trees in non-forested agricultural areas in the Midwest by using remote sensing techniques. ?? Madzie Boyle | Graduate of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability with minors in Diversity and Inclusion in Natural Resources and Geospatial Information Science for Natural Resources | Boyles worked on two major research projects – analyzing the proximity of AAPI hate crimes in San Francisco to cultural signifiers and another working on testing the World Health Organization’s GreenUR QGIS PlugIn. Read about these interns' full experiences at https://col.st/s8ttu And don't forget to check out the GIS Minor in the course catalog and join us for GIS Days at CSU on Nov. 18-21!

Student Spotlight | Meet Danielle Terry! Over the summer, Danielle worked as a Riverscape Restoration Ecology Intern with a nonprofit called Sageland Collaborative. As a Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology major (with a statistics minor), she was thrilled to get lots of hands-on experience, including restoring riparian sites around Utah and surveying the impacts of several restoration methods. She also got the chance to install Beaver Dam Analogs and later monitor their impact on local stream communities. "I learned about river ecosystems, macroinvertebrate identification, and riparian communities," Danielle told us. "This job involved lots of fieldwork with long days in the sun, wearing rubber waders and fighting bugs and brush. But it was extremely rewarding!" Danielle was able to find this position thanks to networking.

Happy Veterans Day! Today, we are shining the spotlight on some inspiring Warner students who have served our country. As Colton Mullins explains, “If I could say one thing about military service it is that our civic duty does not end when you leave the military. It’s important to take the lessons we learned and build a more resilient community.” “For me, the Marine Corps was an opportunity to develop and grow while supporting our country,” said Jhonnie Porter-Salcido. ?? Colton Mullins | Natural Resources Management student | Served six years as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard where he worked disaster relief for multiple hurricanes in Florida, managed Covid-testing sites, and deployed to Kuwait and Jordan. ?? Jhonnie Porter-Salcido | Restoration Ecology student | Served from 2016-2020 as a Corporal in the Marine Corps, working on cleanups in a marina in North Carolina following Hurricane Florence. ?? Tristan McBurney-Bennett | Restoration Ecology student | Served seven years in the Air Force where he worked in the nuclear industry. ?? Ezekiel Martin | Forest & Rangeland Stewardship student | Served in the Navy as an Aerographer’s Mate and a 2nd class petty officer. ?? Nicholas Biel | Restoration Ecology student | Served from 2011-2019 in the Navy. Fun Fact: Warner College has one of the highest rates of veteran students at CSU. Thank you for your service ??????

From CSU sweethearts to Distinguished Alumni! ?? Jody and Mike Werner began their journey as first-year students at CSU, and this past week, they were honored for their incredible contributions and lifelong Ram pride. Jody and Mike's story is a testament to the relationships, memories, and life-changing experiences that grow here at Colorado State University. Join us in celebrating these two Rams who prove that CSU connections really do last a lifetime! ???? You can read more about Jody and Mike's journey from CSU sweethearts to distinguished alumni by reading the story ?? ?? https://col.st/2ycau

With his move to Fort Collins, Joel Pederson –?Warner College of Natural Resources’ new head of the Department of Geosciences – is eager to live in one of the landscapes he has studied for the majority of his career. Joel is an expert on the geologic histories of the intermountain west, such as Yellowstone National Park, the Colorado Plateau and the Grand Canyon. “I get to answer those big questions,” explained Joel, “like, ‘why does this place look the way it does?’ and ‘how did it erode through time to form the landscape that we live in today?’” Here's a little more about Joel: ??? Originally from Minnesota, Joel joins us from Utah where he taught at Utah State University. ??? While at USU, Joel spearheaded the formation of the DEI task force and led his department’s enrollment in the American Geophysical Union’s Bridge Program to recruit underrepresented minority graduate students. ??? Joel guided students on raft trips down the Colorado River as part of his research. ??? He has always felt at home in the southwest's deserts and mountains.? ??? Outside of work, Joel loves hiking and Nordic skiing. Welcome to Warner, Joel! https://lnkd.in/g9JbQK2f

Lab Limelight | Meet the Kanno Lab The Kanno Lab studies stream fish populations and assemblages to inform the conservation and management of stream ecosystems. To understand the intricate relationships among fish, the environment, and people, they use a combination of the following: ??? fieldwork ???? laboratory analyses and experiments ?? statistical models Both graduate and undergraduate students lead many research projects in this lab. To learn more about or get involved in the Kanno Lab, check out the link in our stories! Led by CSU principal investigators and post-doctorates, Warner research labs are dedicated to advancing discoveries in science while providing a learning space for students to expand their research. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/e_jtd8ZA

Career Spotlight | Meet Jaida Spendelow! Jaida graduated in 2022 with a degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. As a student in the D.R. and Ginny Pulliams Scholar Program, she received the opportunity to learn about and apply skills in environmental education and leadership by mentoring two students on an environmental science project. She completed her degree with an AmeriCorps internship through KUPU’s Conservation Leadership Development Program, which led to her working at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Park on the Resource Management Team. During her internship, she worked on cultural landscape rehabilitation, biological monitoring, research, and community outreach. Currently, she is working at the Hawai’i Ocean Science and Technology Park as a Macroalgae Technician with Symbrosia. Symbrosia is an innovative biotechnology startup where her role is to grow seaweed, (Asparagopsis taxiformis) as a livestock additive to reduce methane emissions and help slow down climate change. Jaida’s advice to current students: Remain open and adaptable. You never know how your path may unfold. One open door will lead to the next, and it’s important to be flexible throughout the process.

Join us this Wednesday to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Aldo Leopold's “A Sand County Almanac” ???? Aldo Leopold, a trailblazer in conservation, redefined how we connect with the natural world. His land ethic teaches us to live in harmony with the environment, a message that continues to inspire through his classic “A Sand County Almanac” — a must-read for nature lovers everywhere! We’ll hear inspiring talks from our speakers and panelists below, as they dive into Leopold's influence on conservation and the bond between people, land, and animals: ?? Curt Meine | Aldo Leopold Foundation ?? Lesli Allison | Western Landowners Alliance ?? Robbie LeValley | Le Valley Ranches & CSU College of Agricultural Science Alumna ?? Erik Glenn | Rangeland Trusts, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust ?? Ken Shockley | CSU College of Liberal Arts ?? Steve Strom | Photographer & Author of “Forging a Sustainable Southwest” ?? When: October 30, 5-8 p.m. ?? Where: CSU's Lory Student Center Theater ??? Cost: FREE! No tickets required https://lnkd.in/gg9XXkf8