Warner Free Lecture ~ Allen Rutberg

Invasives, ferals, pests, or wild? How language shapes our treatment of wildlife.

Dr. Allen Rutberg studies how communities react and respond to wildlife that are considered overabundant. An associate research professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Global Health and director of the Center for Animals and Public Policy at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, his research has focused for more than 30 years on the use of contraceptive vaccines to control the populations of white-tailed deer and free-roaming horses. The idea of wildlife contraception provokes strong responses that illuminate deeply held beliefs about wildlife and the human relationship with nature, which he will discuss at this talk.