Course Description

• Cost of Course = $95.00
• Course credit: CE Course, 11 Course Hours, 1.1 CEUs

Additional Information

The discipline of conservation medicine results from a long evolution of trans-disciplinary thinking, merged from the health and ecological sciences.  Today one of the more pressing issues faced by conservationists is that of human-wildlife conflict (HWC). As humans encroach onto natural habitats, and conservationists restore habitat and repopulate with wildlife, there is increasing overlap at the interface between humans and wildlife. At the interface, even endangered and protected species impose serious impacts on human lives & livelihoods.  Predators kill humans & livestock; elephants destroy crops and trample humans. Humans act out in protection of their lives, their resources, or in retaliation. True conservation requires a realistic coexistence at this interface.

This course introduces the student to the issues of HWC both in historical context & present-day conservation.  We will explore a variety of solutions, including innovative and traditional agricultural practices, hunting & tourism as potential means of off-setting the cost of wildlife damage, & policy development at the local, regional, and national or international levels that aims to remediate this conflict.  Ultimately, we must aim for prevention of HWC, however until this lofty goal is achieved, we must implement practical & culturally appropriate solutions. Wildlife forensics plays a key role in assisting conservationists with the tools they need to investigate wildlife crime as it relates to HWC.

Course Goal

This CE course will provide you with an overview of case studies in human-wildlife conflict.  For a more in-depth study of this topic please see the full length semester course WIS6576.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will have the ability to:

-Define human-wildlife conflict & examine its importance in historical & modern-day conservation
-Provide examples of human-wildlife conflict & solutions that have been both successful & unsuccessful in the field
-Appreciate the importance of cultural context in the problem-solving approach to HWC
-Perform a critical evaluation of the factors leading to HWC, through the use of case studies
-Practice problem-solving and apply solutions to mitigate HWC
-Apply forensics approaches to assist in investigations involving HWC

Course Materials:

There are no required materials for this CE.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Outline & Schedule

This CE is entirely self-paced and consists of a series of video lectures along with suggested readings and podcasts.

Assignments

In order to receive CE credit and your Certificate of Completion you will submit a short essay (1-2 paragraphs, single spaced, 12 point font)  describing which case study or aspect of human-wildlife conflict you found to be most interesting, and why. If you have any questions about this assignment please email me at hayley@drhayleyadams.com.

Grading

This course provides you with approximately 11 hours of CE content and is the equivalent of 1.1 CEUs. Your CE will be awarded by a certificate of completion that you will receive once you submit a satisfactory final assignment. Multiple attempts are allowed.
 

About your Instructor

Dr. Hayley R. Adams

I have over 20 years of experience in wildlife veterinary medicine, conservation, and issues related to One Health in Africa, and have had the pleasure of working with a variety of domestic and wild animals over the years. I created a charitable organization, Silent Heroes Foundation, in 2010 as a way of contributing to conservation & One Health efforts in Africa. I am a veterinarian, and have a PhD in wildlife epidemiology and virology. I am a board certified Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Microbiology. I currently teach conservation medicine and related courses at the University of Florida. I am a Certified Meditation Instructor & Compassion Fatigue Therapist in order to better assist those in my profession who may be suffering in silence. I am an author with my first book, Conscious Conservation: Less Doing, More Being, available now.--

Questions?

Please contact the Maples Center Administrative Team

Phone: (352) 265-9940

Email: maples-center@ahc.ufl.edu

Website: https://maples-center.ufl.edu/continuing-education/

Website to Access Course After Enrolled:

https://elearning.ufl.edu/

Click Blue "Log in to Continuing Education" button to log in.