Professor Yolanda van Heezik – Otago University
(Te Apārangi Sponsored Speaker)
Yolanda van Heezik is a professor in the Zoology Department at the University of Otago, where she teaches wildlife management, harvest management, and conservation biology. Her research interests include mammalian invasive species, wildlife in urban areas, biodiversity of private gardens and urban green spaces, and people’s attitudes, motivations and knowledge about biodiversity and their connection to nature. She is also involved in research on marine bird ecology with a focus on penguins.
Lecture information:
Managing cats and cat owners to protect biodiversity
Adorable furry companions or ruthless killers? Free-roaming cats are known to negatively affect wildlife through predation, fear and disease, and have contributed to numerous wildlife extinctions here in NZ and also in other countries. Yet cats are conspicuously absent from NZ’s Predator-free 2050 goal and we have no national legislation on cat management. In this presentation I’ll focus on pet cats and talk about public attitudes towards different types of potential management strategies, and research on messaging aimed at changing cat owner behaviour.
- This lecture takes place in our Robin’s Nest building at Ngā Manu, 74 Ngā Manu Reserve Rd, Waikanae.
- Entry is by paper koha at the door
- Please arrive at 12.30 pm for tea and biscuits and to take your seat.
- The Lecture will start promptly at 1.00 pm and finishes at 3.00 pm.
