As an anthrozoologist I am interested in human-wildlife conflict. My previous research and underwater photography focused on human-shark interactions in the South Pacific. Please visit my shark blog to read more.
I am currently working on the following projects:
Are golf courses the key to human-coyote coexistence in Maricopa County, Arizona? This research paper explores how golf courses can help normalize the presence of coyotes and provide us with realistic expectations of what is natural in urban desert environments.
Can the use of camera traps and security camera encourage Angelinos to coexist with their urban cougar neighbors? This essay reflects on how camera traps can normalize the fact that cougars are already part of the L.A urban ecosystem.
When it’s cruel to be kind: why are bobcats kept as housecats in the U.S? This essay looks at the reasons why people keep bobcats as exotic pets. It explores how different laws and statutes along with a lack of uniform enforcement has led to bobcat pet ownership. I also explore the role wildlife rehabilitators have played in the desire to have a bobcat as a housecat.
How could the relocation of a local conservation center change the educational experience for both humans and nonhuman animals? This research paper will explore the human-animal experience during environmental education tours and programs at different zoos and sanctuaries. This research will focus on those facilities accredited with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and the local conservation center accredited with the American Sanctuary Association (ASA). This project aims to evaluate educational programs through participant observation and interviews with staff and volunteers in the I hope of providing recommendations for the future relocation project.
Living on the brink of extinction: What is the effect of the Species Survival Plan on individual Mexican gray wolves? My dissertation research project is about the rights of the individual wolf in the Mexican gray wolf Species Survival Plan. The aim of this research is to tell the stories of some of the individual Mexican gray wolves on the SSP in the hope that this research can inform future conservation efforts and public educational programs.
