Please join us online at the National Conservation Training Center Livestream Studio when biologist and researcher Dr. Joelle Gehring will present “Bird Collisions with Communication Towers: how we can reduce the risks and save money”.
Every year an estimated 6.6 million birds collide with communication towers in the U.S. Fortunately, cost-saving methods can reduce the numbers of bird collisions by as much as 70%. Together, tower owners and bird conservation enthusiasts can embrace this win-win and save both money and birds.
Dr. Joelle Gehring is a Biologist in the Division of Bird Conservation, Permits, and Regulations in the Migratory Bird Program of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (2020 – present). Prior to joining the Service she worked for the Federal Communications Commission (2012-2020) where she conducted environmental review and worked with tower operators to minimize bird collisions with communications towers and adverse effects to protected species. From 2005 – 2012, Dr. Gehring was a Senior Conservation Scientist with Michigan State University (MSU) where she designed and supervised a multi-year, landscape scale study of the variables associated with bird collisions at communications towers. While with MSU she also studied wildlife interactions with wind energy facilities and used those data to improve turbine siting. Throughout her career Dr. Gehring has used science and stakeholder input to develop and disseminate information on mainstreaming and cost-effective methods to reduce wildlife-human conflicts. Dr. Gehring completed her Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology at Purdue University, M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources at West Virginia University, and her B.S., in both Biology and Wildlife Management at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Dr. Gehring has a wonderful son who is studying conservation biology at Central Michigan University.
This talk is as part of NCTC’s Conservation Lecture Series, which is cosponsored by The Friends of the NCTC (http://www.friendsofnctc.org).
For more information, please contact Mark Madison (304-876-7276; mark_madison@fws.gov)