Join us for the October Lunchtime Expedition, "Sporting Lead Free: A Vital Step for Wildlife Conservation," by Hannah Leonard, program director for Sporting Lead-Free, a non-political, educational initiative working to reduce inadvertent lead consumption by wildlife and people through the voluntary choice of lead-free ammunition and tackle. Please note that this lecture takes place the second (rather than the first) Thursday of the month.
Rarely does an ecological problem arise with a clear, tangible, and positive solution. Over the past 20 years, a growing body of evidence has clearly identified both a significant, ubiquitous conservation issue and the solution to that issue. While lead poisoning in wildlife has been identified since the 1890s, the issue continues to persist with raptors and scavengers ingesting lead from hunted big game, upland birds, varmints, and fishing tackle.
This talk will cover how lead poisoning impacts certain wildlife species, how different sporting activities introduce lead into the environment, and how education and awareness can be used to solve a human caused issue. With a contentious issue such as this, we hope you will leave the presentation with new messaging tactics and knowledge for positive behavioral change for conservation!