Environmental Science Students in Montana Learn About Manatees

Professor Mari Eggers' ecology class and guest speaker Susan Markley (center) at Little Big Horn College in south-central Montana.

Environmental science students at Little Big Horn College in south-central Montana hosted Susan Markley, a biologist from Miami and SMC member. Little Big Horn College is the Tribal College for the Crow Reservation. Professor Mari Eggers' ecology class took a break from their discussion of grazing effects and range management to hear a presentation on careers in conservation, using examples of how Florida resource managers use science to develop manatee protection strategies. Save the Manatee Club provided manatee education materials, including videos and teacher's guides, to the students and the college library. Most of the students were already familiar with manatees. They noted that though Montana ecosystems are quite different than those in Florida, environmental issues including status of protected species populations, habitat loss and fragmentation, and limitations on motorized vehicles are common themes in wildlife management.