WPCNR HABITAT WATCH. From Westchester County Department of Parks and Recreation. August 25, 2010

 Find out what local researchers are discovering about coyotes’ migration patterns and behaviors at “Coyotes in Suburbia,” a Conservation Café event, Friday, September 24, 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (8 - 8:30 a.m. registration) in the Kessel Student Center at Pace University’s Pleasantville campus. Property managers, planners, naturalists, environmentalists, students and the public are invited to this free program.

Mark Weckel, director of research and land management at Mianus River Gorge Preserve in
Bedford will present “Mapping Human-Coyote Interaction in Westchester.” The presentation will cover how observations of coyotes can help predict the likelihood of an encounter, with the goal of  peaceful coexistence and  how citizen-generated data  benefit wildlife agencies and municipalities.

Dan Bogan, a doctoral candidate at Cornell University, will report findings he made on local coyote behavior including territory size and movement. Bogan was field research leader of the New York Urban/Suburban Coyote Study, a NYSDEC-funded project carried out in four Westchester municipalities.

A question-and answer session will be included. 

Advance registration is requested by calling (914) 864-7326 by September 22. Beverages will be served; participants should bring their own coffee mug. Carpooling is encouraged.

Conservation Café programs provide a forum for dialogue about current environmental issues. Sponsors are Westchester County’s Parks and Planning departments, Pace University, Friends of Westchester County Parks, Teatown Lake Reservation, the Greenburgh Nature Center, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County and Mianus River Gorge Preserve.

Pace University is located on Bedford Road (Route 117) in Pleasantville. Go to www.pace.edu.