Join City Wildlfie in wecoming Dr. Rebecca Gooley, a conservation biologist and current Smith Fellow investigating the sublethal impacts of rodenticides in wildlife. Despite living in California now, she used to live in D.C. and brought many wildlife to City wildlife during that time - mainly pigeons! In California she was the driving force behind a pioneering law on environmentally safe rodent control.
Title: Using legislation and innovation to reimagine rodent management
Description: Rat poisons don't just kill rats—they ripple through the entire ecosystem. When predators and scavengers consume poisoned rodents, they too suffer the consequences of these indiscriminate pesticides. Despite the well-documented risks, anticoagulant rodenticides (a specific type of rodenticide) remain widely used. In California, a coalition of lawyers, scientists, and activists successfully pushed for a moratorium on these poisons, but the fight for ethical and sustainable rodent management is far from over.
True progress requires more than legislation—it demands innovation and a shift in how we think about urban wildlife. This talk explores novel approaches to rodent management, from fertility control to altering rodent behavior to reduce conflict without harm. Join us as we discuss the legal battles, scientific advancements, and practical solutions that allow us to share our spaces with rodents in a way that benefits both people and the environment.
