Becoming Wolf: Eastern Coyote in New England, Wednesday Feb 28

Myths surround the coyote and cloud our understanding of it. Learn the true story of the eastern coyote – how it lives among us but is rarely seen and how it contributes to keeping our forests and fields healthy. It is a creature of our own making – different from the western coyote in genetics and behavior but with the same superior resilience and adaptability. It has rewilded the northeast with its howl and challenges us to live with and appreciate this small wolf in our presence.

Despite the ecological benefits the coyote brings, it is the most persecuted carnivore in North America. And despite human efforts to eradicate it, it survives and thrives among us.

Chris Schadler, M.S., Conservation Biology, believes "knowledge is power" and will discuss coexistence strategies, whether you farm, hike, or garden. “Understanding the mind and ecology of the coyote can keep us one step ahead of problems”.  Chris has 40 years of wolf and coyote research, sheep farming, and teaching expertise. Chris will tell us how to coexist with coyotes, whether you farm, hike, garden, or just enjoy being in nature. 

This program will be presented in the Levenson Community Room at the Portsmouth Public Library and Online via Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom Link if you plan to attend online. 

About the Presenter
Chris Schadler's interest in wild canids began in the 1970s as a volunteer at Wolf Park in Battleground, Indiana. This opportunity and others inspired an eventual Masters in Conservation Biology at Antioch University in Keene. Her thesis focused on the Natural Recovery of the Eastern Timber Wolf in Michigan. Chris lived in Michigan and Minnesota during the early 1980s where her research into the gray wolf continued and her speaking career began.

Beginning in the early 1990s, Chris taught Forestry, Wolf Ecology, and Environmental Conservation in the Natural Resources Department at UNH. She also instructed and mentored adult degree candidates in the UNH System at Granite State College.

While wolf recovery was the focus of her early work, Chris’ attention shifted to the Eastern Coyote when she and her flock of sheep moved to New England. She is now the NH and VT Representative for Project Coyote, a national organization promoting coexistence with coyotes. Chris (with John Harrigan) co-founded the NH Wildlife Coalition which aims to defend predators and broaden public input into wildlife decision-making. She currently Chairs the Webster Conservation Commission and is a member of the Northeast Wolf Recovery Alliance.

Chris taught Wolf Ecology, Conservation and Dendrology at UNH. Since the 1970s, coexisting with the eastern coyote was put into practice on her sheep farms where no lethal measures and no predation occurred, ever. She is the NH & VT Rep for Project Coyote and Co-Founder of the NH Wildlife Coalition, which advocates for better conservation for predators.