Nov 21-23, 2008
This is the first workshop of its kind – open to a mix of people including wild cat enthusiasts, land managers, trust administrators, conservation leaders, and people who just want to learn. There are more than 75 million acres of forested habitat in the northeastern U.S. and contiguous Canada, so there is an extraordinary opportunity to define conservation priorities boldly while there is still time. Bobcats, Lynx, and Pumas (a.k.a. Cougars) are “umbrella species,” top-of-the-food-chain, wide-ranging carnivores that need extensive wildlands to thrive.
We will begin with an in-depth introduction to accurately identifying and documenting tracks and sign of Bobcat, Lynx, and Cougar – skills most eastern biologists and conservation planners don’t have. Saturday morning and afternoon, two smaller groups will take turns, one exploring the nearby forest to learn about habitat, food, and cover, values that contribute to the well being of both felid predators and their prey, while the other group enjoys free time. Friday and Saturday evenings, there will be slide shows featuring Susan Morse’s amazing pictures, many of which grace this catalogue. She will also share her encyclopedic knowledge of these magnificent animals. Original research, illustrated with detailed photography, will focus on subtleties to look for in the field, including tracks and sign associated with scent marking and prey caches.
Sunday morning, there will be hands-on inspection of pelts, taxidermy mounts, skulls, and freeze-dried feet. The session will compare what we know about these wild cats with what is not known. The need for a regional core and connected habitats, which are vital for the viability of these species, will be explored through facilitated discussions and work sessions. There will be a charge of $15 to cover the cost of the full-color booklet, Wild Felids of the Northeast: Tracks and Sign plus other materials that will encourage involvement after the retreat is over.
Click if you would like to read an article we published in our newspaper The Center Post.
Forester, wildlife ecologist, professional tracker, and photographer Susan Morse is nationally known for her legendary field skills. Rowe guests have commended her engaging teaching style, her superb teaching materials, and her humor. Her extensive knowledge of cougar, bobcat, and Canada lynx, as well as her developing expertise with Florida panther, is a resource sought by biologists and conservation organizations throughout North America. She is the founder and science director of Keeping TrackTM, a non-profit wildlife habitat conservation and monitoring organization begun in 1994 (www.Keeping Track.org). She will be assisted by Bobbie Summers, Keeping Track’s efficient, warm, and gracious office manager, who has studied bird ecology in great depth, rescues homeless dogs, and has developed a new love for reptiles and amphibians.
“If you want someone who will draw a crowd and hold them enthralled with her presentation, get Sue Morse. If the Michelin Guide did conservation speakers, she’d get four stars. (She has the) ability to make animals come alive.”
—Stansje Plantenga, President and Founding member, Ruiter Valley Land Trust, Quebec