{"490001":{"#nid":"490001","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Saving the Endangered African Painted Dog: Science, Conservation and Communities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding that from a conservation perspective, ecosystems must include the human element, Dr. Gregory Rasmussen\u2019s lecture will not only discuss research on the enigmatic African Painted Dog, but also explore how integration of contemporary human needs with empathy for wildlife and habitats can lead to successful conservation practices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreg\u2019s presentation will offer memorable encounters with Painted Dogs over the course of his 25- year journey to protect this remarkable species. He will focus on lessons learned and future directions, including training tomorrow\u2019s generations of local conservationists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPainted Dog Research Trust, Zimbabwe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith research and science as guiding tools, Painted Dog Research Trust is dedicated to conserving the highly endangered Painted Dog, also known as the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus). Dr. Rasmussen, the trust\u2019s founder, has led this work for 25 years, thus making it one of the longest continuous study of the remarkable species.\u0026nbsp;Painted Dog Research Trust is based near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in a landscape\u0026nbsp;mosaic of national parks, forestry, private safari areas, and traditional communal lands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the pan-African population declining from half a million to some 5,000, the Painted Dog is\u0026nbsp;listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as \u201cHighly Endangered.\u201d Painted Dog populations in Zimbabwe link to all five neighboring countries: Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and Mozambique. Thus, Zimbabwe is an important keystone for this species. To maintain the integrity of the populations in Zimbabwe and other countries, research must continue unabated, because long-term study and monitoring are core to the continued survival of Painted Dogs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDr. Gregory Rasmussen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGregory Rasmussen\u0026nbsp;was born in London and moved to Zimbabwe with his parents when he was still a child.\u0026nbsp;After college, he began work on a research project on Painted Dogs in Hwange National Park and became so committed to the species that he sold his belongings to live and work for their protection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreg is a conservation biologist who retains affiliation with the Wildlife Conservation Unit at Oxford University, where he earned his Ph.D. He is also a research associate and lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe. His research interests are wide ranging, but with special focus on trans-boundary conservation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2003, an airplane crash left Greg severely injured and alone in the African bush. \u0026nbsp;He endured extreme temperatures and exposure to predators while waiting for help. Eventually he was rescued, and the story of his survival was featured in Discovery Channel\u2019s, \u0022I Shouldn\u2019t Be Alive\u0022 series.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA reception follows the lecture.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E(Parking available in Visitors Lot, on the south side of North Avenue, across from Tech Tower.)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Dr. Gregory Rasmussen, Director, Painted Dog Research Trust, Zimbabwe, will discuss research on the African Painted Dog in the upcoming lecture from the Frontiers in Science public lecture series."}],"uid":"27570","created_gmt":"2016-01-25 14:56:09","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 02:15:55","author":"Will Rusk","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2016-02-03T18:30:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2016-02-03T18:30:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2016-02-03T18:30:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2016-02-03 23:30:00","gmt_time_end":"2016-02-03 23:30:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2016-02-03 23:30:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1795","name":"Seminar\/Lecture\/Colloquium"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}