I am an MSc student in the ACS Lab, partnering with the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter (Smithers, BC) and the Government of BC. I am examining patterns in survival, mortality cause, and conflict behaviour of black bear yearlings released after rehabilitation. Despite significant investments into animals in care, post-release monitoring of rehabilitated wildlife is rarely investigated. We deployed GPS collars on yearlings to record movement and habitat use upon release in the spring through to the end of their second summer in the wild, or their mortality. The data from this project will be used to identify if characteristics of individuals, release sites, or post-release behaviour might predict survival as they face challenges of predation, foraging and human encounters across a varied landscape in the Skeena and Omineca regions of BC.
I am originally from Treaty 7 territory, where I enjoyed hiking, paddling, and skiing on land shared with wildlife, including black bears. Throughout my early career I have held positions with Parks Canada and the Government of BC, which allowed me to gain experience with wildlife monitoring through camera trapping, scat collection, and aerial surveys.
I am grateful to the investors who made this research possible and am excited to join a community of engaged scientists to improve conservation outcomes for black bears in BC!