Join us for our Newest Virtual Happy Hour

“Wildlife Conservation During the COVID Pandemic”

 Featuring

David Wheeler, Executive Director, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

Allison Sonya Injaian, Lecturer, Odom School, University of Georgia

FREE via Zoom

Thursday September 17 from 5-6 pm

Sign-up at RSVP@drgreenway.org no later than 1:00 p.m. on September 17

 to reserve your space and receive instructions for this FREE Zoom event! 

Princeton, NJ:  September 2, 2020 ~ D&R Greenway’s Virtual Happy Hour Series has become a new tradition, bringing together like-minded conservationists from near and far for topical talks. These popular Zoom events provide convivial, healthy engagement with experts and participants on nature topics of current high interest. Pour your favorite beverage and join others who care intensely about nature, on Thursday, September 17, 5-6 p.m.

David Wheeler, Executive Director of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) and Allison Sonya Injaian, M.S., Ph.D., Lecturer at Odom School, University of Georgia, will share recent observations on positive and negative effects of the COVID’s pandemic’s changes upon wild creatures, with a focus on wildlife of New Jersey. D&R Greenway Land Trust President and CEO, Linda Mead, will moderate the scientific presentations. D&R Greenway’s newest Community Conservation Fellow for the 2020-‘21 year, Maria Stahl, –recent Princeton University graduate in the fields of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will create a special introduction, including her own recent experience conducting research upon plant-animal interactions in the African savannah.

Meet Our Speakers:

David Wheeler, Executive Director of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) ~ Since becoming Executive Director in 2012, David Wheeler has directed CWF’s expansion in wildlife conservation projects, habitat restoration, public engagement, and environmental education. This leadership role synchronizes powerfully with his interests and repute as a long-time Lecturer in Environmental Communication at Rutgers University. Wheeler is also renowned for a proliferation of publications on the incredible biodiversity and perils of New Jersey native species. Among his books is Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State. His work with “our talented CWF Staff includes protecting rare wildlife through field science, habitat restoration, education, and public engagement.” During this Virtual Happy Hour, he will focus on COVID-generated changes in human interactions on roads and trails which may be impacting migration patterns and range. Of particular interest is his perspective on alterations in the lives and professions of wildlife conservationists, as generated by COVID’s presence among us.

Allison Sonya Injaian, Lecturer, Odom School, University of Georgia ~ friend and colleague of D&R Greenway’s Assistant Director of Land Stewardship, Cindy Taylor, Allison is known for original research and findings upon impacts of introduced noise among bird populations. Virtual Happy Hour Participants will learn, among other realities, traffic’s impact upon tree swallows, and those of aircraft upon the wood thrush population. She has recently begun her new role as Lecturer at the Odom School at University of Georgia. Among Injaian’s scholarly publications is “Effects of experimental anthropogenic noise on avian settlement patterns and reproductive success.”

“Our virtual happy hours enhance community and provide the latest information on matters of land conservation in New Jersey and the Delaware Valley region,” says Linda Mead. “D&R Greenway is experiencing an increased sense of community, through these evening virtual gatherings. Our goal is to connect conservation-minded people, heightening awareness of ways by which they can effectively support conservation through their own private actions. We are told that our happy hours catalyze interesting dinner conversations!”

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BACKGROUND:

D&R Greenway Land Trust, an accredited nonprofit, is close to reaching a new milestone of 21,000 acres of land preserved since 1989. By preserving land for life and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for our neighbors—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway’s mission is centered in connecting land with people from all walks of life.

D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center, home to its art galleries in Princeton, is currently closed to ensure health and safety due to COVID. Visit www.drgeenway.org to learn about the organization’s latest news and virtual programs.

D&R Greenway Land Trust, One Preservation Place, Princeton NJ 08540