Grizzly Bear Program Lead Gord Stenhouse has returned from the Second Svanhovd Brown Bear Seminar in Norway. Grizzly bears, known as brown bears in Europe, are listed as a threatened species in Alberta and are an important focus at fRI Research. Gord’s attendance and presentations at the conference highlight our expanding geographic reach. The Grizzly Bear Program alone has partnerships across North America and Europe.
The conference, “The future of genetic monitoring and research on large carnivores,” was hosted by the Norwegian Institute of BIOeconomy research (NIBIO). NIBIO is recognized for their expertise in extracting DNA from scat, which can then be used to identify individuals and genetic relationships between bears. This allows for a new, non-invasive way to collect vital data for determining population size and monitoring trends to support management and recovery plans.
The Grizzly Bear Program has collaborated with NIBIO before. In a 2014 citizen science pilot project led by fRI Research, recreational users of the foothills and Jasper National Park collected bear scat they happened across. We provided the sample collection kits and developed a free smartphone app that allowed them to tag their sample’s GPS location. Once the scat samples were dropped off with us, we sent them to NIBIO in Norway for DNA extraction and analysis.
As the only attendee from North America, Gord shared the Canadian perspective with experts from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Germany, and Estonia. He presented on the unique situation in Alberta, and the significant body of research his program has contributed to grizzly bear management.
Gord’s participation at the conference had the double purpose of raising the profile of fRI Research with international leaders in ecology and providing a venue for our program lead to network and investigate future international collaborations.
Gallery
