Bighorn Sheep Topic of July 20 UW Research Center Talk

Wildlife biologist Sarah Dewey will discuss the Teton Range bighorn sheep herd Thursday, July 20, at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW-NPS) Research Center. The center is located at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.

Dewey will present “Life on the Edge: History and status of Teton Range bighorn sheep” as part of the center’s Harlow Summer Seminars at 6:30 p.m. at the AMK Ranch, located north of Leeks Marina. A barbecue, at a cost of $5 per person, will take place at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are not required.

The Tetons are home to a small population of bighorn sheep, whose status is of concern because of its small size, isolation from neighboring herds, low genetic diversity and loss of historic winter range. Dewey will discuss the herd’s status, highlighting conservation measures to shore up its future and challenges to its long-term persistence.

Dewey is a Grand Teton National Park wildlife biologist. She has worked with a number of species on a variety of projects since 2003, including elk, moose, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wildlife-vehicle collisions and wolf pack dynamics. She is a graduate of Colby College in Maine and Colorado State University, where she earned a master’s degree in wildlife biology.

The UW-NPS Research Center provides a base for university faculty members and government scientists from throughout North America to conduct research in the diverse aquatic and terrestrial environments of Grand Teton National Park and the greater Yellowstone area.

For more information about the Harlow Summer Seminars, contact Michael Dillon at (307) 543-2463 or michael.dillon@uwyo.edu.