May 25, 2007

eXtension Launches Wildlife Damage Web Site Whether it's squirrels digging up bulbs, moles in the lawn or coyotes terrorizing a neighborhood, consumers now have instant Web access to research-based solutions for helping humans and wildlife coexist.The eXtension Wildlife Damage Management Web site from the national eXtension project helps consumers manage wildlife problems and links people to experts who have this information.

The site, available at http://www.extension.org/human-wildlife+relations, offers a wealth of information and is an excellent resource for anyone needing information about managing wildlife problems.

"While many sites say this or that technique works, eXtension provides what actually works and it does all this for free. With the public's growing environmental awareness, the need for quality information is more important than ever. Thankfully, eXtension accomplishes this by providing its information 24/7/365," said Stephen Vantassel, nationally certified wildlife control operator and a wildlife damage project coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who worked on the project.

The eXtension Wildlife Damage Management Web site was developed through the collaboration of nationally recognized wildlife biologists, nuisance wildlife control operators, educators and people interested in the field of human-wildlife relations.

"The backbone of our site is a series of illustrated pages on 65 wildlife species that cause damage or nuisance problems in North America," said Scott Hygnstrom, professor and extension wildlife damage specialist at UNL who also collaborated on the project. "We included everything from alligators to polar bears. For each species, you can easily navigate through life histories, behavior, damage identification, economics, legal issues, and a complete list of methods for managing wildlife damage."

The eXtension site builds on more detailed information available from the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management's Web site at http://icwdm.org/, Hygnstrom said.

The eXtension Wildlife Damage Management Web site also features:

• Frequently Asked Questions, which allow users to submit queries about wildlife management.
• Ask the Expert, which provides an answer to questions not already available in the Frequently Asked Questions section with a response usually within 24 hours.
• News and Upcoming Events, which keeps the news and calendar of events current at the local, state and national levels.
• Glossary and Diseases, which lists terms and illnesses commonly found in wildlife damage management.

"People need to understand how to resolve or manage problems caused by wildlife with solutions that are humane, ecologically sensitive and responsible, and economically viable. This site is developed to do just that," said Robert Schmidt, associate professor and certified wildlife biologist at Utah State University who also collaborated on the project.eXtension is an educational partnership of more than 70 land-grant universities helping Americans improve their lives with access to timely, objective, research-based information and educational opportunities. eXtension's interactive Web site, www.extension.org, is customized with links to local Extension Web sites.

Land-grant universities were founded on the ideals that higher education should be accessible to all, that the university should teach liberal and practical subjects and share the university's knowledge with people throughout their states.

IANR News Release