Tags: Researcher

Course Description: Spend two days with biologists Dr. Don Hunter and Caroline Krumm learning about Colorado's top predator, the mountain lion (Puma concolor). Instructors will take students into the field for hands on instruction in the tools and methods used in research and management. In addition to an academic overview, students will receive practical instruction on how to “read” the signs left by mountain lions. After taking the course, students will be better equipped to gain an understanding of how the mountain lion fits into the wildland and urban ecosystems, including its relationship with the people and communities of the Front Range.

Each day begins at FRCC with a morning of lectures and presentations that cover mountain lion ecology, such as physical characteristics, habitat preferences, prey base, ecological niche, life history details, and human-lion interaction. In the afternoon the class ventures into the natural area, learning basic habitat characterization, prey identification, mountain lion movement, remote camera trapping, and radio telemetry.

Note: The seminar will include moderate hikes of less than 4 miles per day; for details on Bobcat Ridge Natural Areas see: http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/bobcat

The Workshop theme is “Cougars: Conservation, Connectivity, and Population Management.” The workshop will also include a Wild Felid Research and Management Association panel discussion on wild felid management issues in the Americas.