Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
The mission of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation is to foster education, expand knowledge, and reward scholarship, using multi-disciplinary approaches, for the purpose of understanding, managing, and conserving biological resources. The primary goal of our teaching, research, and extension programs is to develop and communicate the knowledge necessary for enhancing the conservation and management of wildlife and their habitats for the greatest aesthetic, ecological, economic, and recreational values.
WEC News
Dr. Ron Labisky receives Aldo Leopold Award
Dr. Ron Labisky, Professor Emeritus in the University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation was awarded the Aldo Leopold Award at the national meeting of The Wildlife Society. The award is named in honor of Aldo Leopold, the visionary biologist whose work early in the 20th century formed the foundation for modern conservation science. Each year The Wildlife Society, the nation’s professional organization for wildlife biologists, selects one person for this prestigious recognition. Previous award recipients are a veritable “who’s who” in wildlife conservation, including editorial cartoonist and conservation activist Ding Darling, former Secretary of Interior Stewart Udall, the former Chief of the US Forest Service Jack Ward Thomas, former Director of Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and pioneer of the field of wildlife toxicology Lucille Stickel, and a esteemed group of scientists and leaders who have shaped the wildlife profession for the last 6 decades. According to John Hayes, Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology, “the Aldo Leopold Award is one of the highest honors a conservation scientist can receive. Dr. Labisky’s many significant contributions have left a lasting legacy of positive impacts that will be felt for decades to come. His selection for this award was well deserved, and is a great tribute to the many contributions that he has made, and continues to make to the field.” Dr. Labisky joined the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor in 1976 and retired in 2003. He played a key role in establishment of the University’s Department of Wildlife Ecology.
Thad H. Owens Memorial Fund for Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
A Memorial Fund has been established in the memory of Thad Owens to purchase equipment for use by undergraduate students in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida. To contribute to the fund online, click here.
