Title: Karelian Bear Dogs Help Protect Wildlife

Bio: 

Nils Pedersen grew up with sled dogs in Fairbanks, Alaska. He understood the utility of working dogs for bear deterrence at a young age because of a photo that his grandpa showed him of one of his Greenland Husky dogs chasing a young polar bear away from camp. Pedersen began working with the Wind River Bear Institute (WRBI) in 2011 as the trainer and handler of Karelian Bear Dog, “Soledad”. Together they have worked to address human-bear conflict issues with all three species of North American bear: grizzly, black, and polar bear. Pedersen completed a M.Sc. degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2019. His research focused on human-grizzly bear conflict in the North Slope oil fields of Alaska and the use of Forward Looking Infrared-equipped drones for grizzly and polar bear den detection in the Arctic. Pedersen owns and operates the WRBI kennel in Fairbanks, Alaska. In his spare time he guides for Arctic Dog Adventure Co., an ecotourism dog mushing company he founded together with his partner, Lisbet Norris.

Title: One Health and considering the nuances of risk/benefit balance

Bio:

Andrew Cyr is an environmental toxicologist for the State of Alaska Department of Health. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in 2019, where he researched the chemical feeding ecology of mercury in fish and aquatic food webs across Alaska. He has a background in environmental consulting, natural resource management, science mentoring, education, outreach, and research in environmental toxicology and human health. He is a passionate supporter of public health, especially through the One Health paradigm. Health is an intricate compilation of nutrition, physical health, mental well-being, cultural health, as well as one’s interaction with their surrounding environment. Ensuring that we are promoting all aspects of health requires collaboration with numerous disciplines, including clinicians, local community members, researchers, and public health officials. Andrew works diligently to ensure that the development of public health guidance considers health holistically – i.e., as more than the presence or absence of a disease – and, when considering exposure to a potentially hazardous substance, balances the risks and benefits.

In this seminar, members of the BC Coalition Institute (BCCI) and beyond will be sharing stories about their local ecosystem health issues and ways that they are working with community members on these issues. The BCCI is a growing Community of Practice of global health researchers, students and practitioners with a focus on health equity, connecting research and action on global health issues with local communities. In these talks, two such BC communities will be represented. Members from the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island will talk about forestry practices in the area, impacts on health, and ways that they are engaging important community stakeholders to encourage community stewardship. Then, members from the Rural Health Services Research Network of BC (out of the University of British Columbia) will discuss their work through CCEDARR Project in building resilient rural communities: responding to Climate Change and ecosystem disruption.  

The moderator for this discussion will be Mira Ziolo DVM, HBSc.

Mira Ziolo is a clinical emergency and relief veterinarian, a wildlife-human interface consultant and PhD Candidate for the Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program at the University of  British Columbia. Her interest lies in strengthening resilience and adaptability in health at wildlife-human interfaces. Since 2005, she has worked primarily in East Sub-Saharan Africa, most recently with the Mountain Gorilla-Human Interface in Rwanda.  Since 2018, she is increasingly engaging with local partners, and intersectoral and interdisciplinary practitioners in North America as she connects her work in the global south with work in the global north with the intention to help close inequity gaps. In her downtime, she loves mountain biking and generally finding new ways to explore nature with her trusty partner in crime: Theo, the Karelian bear dog.  

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning in Alaska