Our vision is to promote the conservation of ‘wild life’ (all natural living things) as exemplified by the life and works of Theodore Roosevelt. And our strategy for doing so is three-fold: expand educational opportunities for emerging and continuing professionals, facilitate discovery and excellence in research, and communicate science to engage the public in conservation action. The Roosevelt W
ild Life Station was established by an act of the New York State Legislature in 1919 to memorialize Theodore Roosevelt as a wildlife conservationist. The Station was established at the College of Forestry at Syracuse University (now SUNY-ESF) through the efforts of Dr. Charles C. In the beginning, the Station’s research focus was driven by a lack of basic understanding of the biology of forest-dependent animals, primarily game species. Thanks to powerful conservationists who relied on scientific information provided by institutions such as the Roosevelt Wild Life Station, wild animals became recognized as a “natural resource” worthy of management alongside timber, pasture and water. The Roosevelt Wild Life Station provided some of the earliest investigations into the natural history of wildlife, such as beaver and their importance to ecosystems and society. Fast forward to today: The world faces a global biodiversity crisis driven primarily by habitat loss and climate change. As habitat degrades or is destroyed, wildlife populations become disconnected and more vulnerable to other threats, such as disease. Even well-managed and relatively abundant game species suffer from severe habitat loss. For both common and rare wildlife, it is imperative that research focus on identifying land management strategies to assist species’ adaptation to rapidly changing land use and climate. The wildlife profession itself also faces complex challenges. Students pursuing the field of wildlife science need direct and meaningful experience outdoors with wildlife, habitat and the stakeholder community to gain an appreciation for the multi- faceted demands of their chosen profession. Established professionals need opportunities to augment their skills in new areas: multi-institutional collaborations, transparency in decision-making, emerging technologies and systems-based approaches that are critical to effective resource management. To ensure broad public support for the conservation of our wildlife heritage, we also must act to close the widening gap between the demographic makeup of the conservation profession and the public at large. It is with these research and professional challenges in mind that we have re-envisioned the Roosevelt Wild Life Station’s program at ESF. Join us to achieve this new vision.
