Seminar: Reflections on a Career in Wildlife Science and Conservation: 30 Years and Counting

It is a pleasure to escape the rainy Washington State coast to enjoy several days in Tucson, but a far greater pleasure to reconnect with Dr. Javan Bauder. Javan and I first met when he was a 14-year-old with an emerging interest in wildlife science. For several years I had the privilege to act as a mentor. We stayed in touch throughout Javan’s university and early career years to present time where he serves as Assistant Unit Leader for the Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit here at the University of Arizona. When we talked about the opportunity for me to present a seminar, he suggested that I share my career path and experiences as a community college instructor, as a wildlife biologist for the timber industry, and currently as director for the non-profit Coastal Raptors. While I prepared my seminar, I was reminded of a line from Stairway to Heaven, a 1971 rock song of my youth: “Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there’s still time to change the road you’re on.” During my presentation, I’ll stress the importance of mentorship to career development, I’ll point to the value of collegial relationships and participation in the science community, and I’ll share the benefits of networks formed from participation in professional organizations.  

Speaker Bio:

Dan earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Zoology from Eastern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. For 11 years Dan taught biology at community colleges in the Midwest. Dan moved to Hoquiam, Washington in 1993 and worked until 2009 as wildlife biologist for the timber company Rayonier. Since 1995, Dan has been surveying and banding raptors on Washington’s coastal beaches. In 2009, he founded and became the Executive Director of Coastal Raptors, a not-for-profit organization focused on research, education and conservation programs for raptors in coastal environments. In 2018, Dan was given the Exceptional Service Award by the Raptor Research Foundation for his volunteer service to the organization. Dan was co-editor of a book on raptors in human-altered landscapes and has co-authored 20 scientific publications and two book chapters.

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