Free Webcast from The Stewardship Network: "Feral Swine - an Unwelcome Visitor"

Join us for our next FREE monthly Stewardship Network Webcast! The webcast will be on Wednesday, February 12th, and will focus on "Feral Swine - an Unwelcome Visitor."

Presentation by: Tim Wilson, USDA Wildlife Services; and Lisa Brush, The Stewardship Network
Date: Wednesday, February 12th, 2014
Time: 12 noon to 1pm Eastern
Place: Your Computer!
Click here to view webcast!
(Link will become live day of webcast)

Feral swine can cause considerable damage to property and pose a disease threat to domestic animals. The rooting and wallowing activities of feral swine can cause serious erosion to riparian areas and wetlands, and damage to agricultural crops. These destructive animals have been known to tear through livestock and game fences, consume animal feed, and prey upon small livestock. Feral swine are also known to prey upon wildlife, especially ground nesting birds, small mammals, and deer fawns. Feral swine are also susceptible to a variety of diseases (such as pseudorabies, swine brucellosis, and classical swine fever) that are transmittable to domestic animals. 

USDA Wildlife Services has been working cooperatively with the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources, and the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy to locate feral swine. Once feral swine are located, technical assistance and traps are made available to landowners who want to trap these animals. Blood samples are then taken from trapped swine for disease surveillance. Efforts are being made to educate the public that the perils of feral swine far outweigh any potential positive recreational benefits. 

Join Tim Wilson, USDA Wildlife Services, and Lisa Brush, The Stewardship Network as they present on this important stewardship topic.
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Tim Wilson - Wildlife Biologist with USDA Wildlife Services since 2001. Tim is involved with not only feral swine issues, but also wildlife mitigation on airports, control of double-crested cormorants, nuisance Canada geese, and other conflicts between wildlife and humans. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and a Master of Science from Mississippi State University.

Lisa Brush - Executive Director, The Stewardship Network. Lisa has worked in the environmental field in Michigan for the last fifteen years. She is currently the Executive Director of the Stewardship Network and has been involved with the Network since its inception more than 10 years ago. She has a wealth of experience helping non-scientific people understand scientific issues. For over nine years, as she has built and coordinated The Stewardship Network, she has emphasized effective and meaningful stakeholder involvement in developing and implementing all aspects of this program. She has a M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and a B.A. (Science in Society) from Wesleyan University.