2026 Biodiversity in the Connecticut River Watershed Lecture Series, Lecture 4/6: Black Bears: Finding Food Within The Forest and Within Your Freezer, by Dr. Tracy Rittenhouse

For much of human history people have displaced or eliminated wildlife populations. Today, game management prevents extinctions of wild game in the U.S. and many species (e.g., deer, bobcat, and black bears) are increasing in abundance. Yet, the list of species of greatest conservation need is long and many populations are declining within remaining natural areas. Black bears (Ursus americanus) have become an unmistakable presence in Connecticut. The range of these adaptable omnivores continues to expand into neighborhoods built when bears were extirpated from the state, bringing them into close proximity with people. Black bears are your new neighbor, so attend this seminar to learn a bit more about them.  

Dr. Tracy Rittenhouse is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, and Faculty Affiliate in Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of Connecticut. Her research program tests our understanding of wildlife populations within social-ecological systems. In recent projects, she uses her experience studying wildlife in managed forest systems to understand wildlife within forests that are perforated with human housing to create an intermixed system. Rittenhouse studies the behavioral, physiological, ecological, and demographic mechanisms that influence vital rates.