The Big Oaks Conservation Society will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Ivy Tech Community College, 590 Ivy Tech Drive, Madison.
Rob Chapman, a biological science technician for Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge in Madison, will present the history of wildlife conservation and how this history led to the development of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The public is invited to attend this free presentation.
The utilization of wildlife resources in North America has a history of discovery, exploitation, irreparable loss of some species and remarkable recovery of others. Chapman will present this history through photos and stories of how a seemingly unlimited supply of wildlife fed, clothed and fashioned a fledgling nation.
He will introduce attendees to the insightful sportspersons, scientists and politicians who recognized that unregulated market hunting was devastating the wildlife resources of the North America. From the late 19th century through the early 20th century, these influential citizens forged policies, created agencies and organizations and enacted laws for the purpose of protecting wildlife and habitats.
Their actions led to an era of ecosystem protection and the recovery of wildlife species abundance and diversity through the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Over time, these actions have become known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and ensured that future generations would have opportunities to fish, hunt and enjoy wildlife in a sustainable manner.
Chapman will highlight how this history resulted in the principles that form the basis of this unique model, explore current and future threats to wildlife conservation and what citizens can do to help advance the model into the new millennium.
Chapman has more than 26 years of experience as a wildlife ecologist with a focus on ecosystem restoration and management. He has worked in a variety ecosystems in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri and Indiana. He has been at Big Oaks since 2016.
The Big Oaks Conservation Society is the nonprofit support group of the refuge. Society members work closely with refuge staff to enhance public awareness, use and appreciation for the natural and cultural assets unique to Big Oaks.
Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of selected months.