LINCOLN PARK — More than 200 of the world's leading urban wildlife experts will be converging on Chicago next month.
Lincoln Park Zoo is set to host the International Urban Wildlife Conference with attendees from 30 states and six countries.
The conference, May 17-20, will focus on coming together to reduce human-wildlife conflict and plan for wildlife-friendly cities and strategies.
Chicago's most prominent urban animals include coyotes, birds and even snakes.
"Historically cities were not considered to be ecologically relevant. As such, urban ecology is a ‘new frontier’ in the field of ecology,” said Liza Lehrer of the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo.
It's important to understand how the city-living animals can live among traffic, concrete and reduced habitat, according to Lehrer.
More than 150 speakers will present at the conference, which will be attended by a representatives from universities, governments, urban planners and private organizations.
The conference will also include a session dedicated to Citizen Science, which involves everyday citizens who help scientists conduct studies such as the zoo's Chicago Wildlife Watch, which asks citizens to help categorize wildlife photos.
More information is available at urban-wildlife.org.
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