My journey started and ended in the same way: in Durham taking a class with Charlotte Clark.

The class is meant to facilitate graduating seniors in the completion of their capstone project. Although there were only three of us graduating with the certificate program this year, we regularly met class every Friday morning. Together, we read and discussed two books:

  • Sustainability by Leslie Paul Thiele and
  • Sustainability by Design by John Ehrenfeld

along with supplementary articles and papers. Each week, we spent a portion of class discussing the readings as part of a continued exploration of sustainability and what we’ve learned it to mean. We also had multiple guest speakers from Resource Watch, Duke University Superfund Center, and Sanford School of Public Policy, with more planned prior to the COVID-19 closures. We covered skills we felt we had missed during our four years, so that we felt confident graduating with the skills we would need for our careers.

Senior capstone class with Brandon and Margaret! Check out their projects, too!

For my capstone project, I partnered with Katie Taylor, an MEM student at the Nicholas School, to research red wolf conservation in North Carolina and the community perceptions of the species and reintroduction efforts.

Red wolves, the most endangered canid in the world, are historically native to the Southeastern United States. Hunting and habitat loss decimated red wolf populations until the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) declared the species extinct in the wild in 1980. Prior to this declaration, over a dozen wolves were caught to begin a successful captive breeding program that ultimately led to the species’ reintroduction into the wild in 1987. However, fewer than 25 red wolves are known to remain in the wild today, concentrated in eastern North Carolina. The USFWS and the state of North Carolina have a management plan to ensure the survival of red wolves in the wild. Yet the state of North Carolina is not engaging in their required on-the-ground active management of red wolves, stating that there is significant pushback from North Carolina residents. We believe the success of this species depends on continued action by federal agencies and scientists backed by support from the general public.

Through the Museum of Life and Sciences (which has captive red wolves!), Katie Taylor (MEM-ESC) and I conducted interviews and make observations about public public engagement with red wolves and their conservation status. Our aim was to create a baseline of what North Carolina residents think about red wolves within the museum context and to provide feedback to museum staff to improve their education tools. Our observation days and interviews allowed us to analyze language and behavior to describe values of conservation and perceptions of red wolves. This analysis could provide insights into the general attitudes toward red wolves among a sample of North Carolina residents. With this insight, we could be able to understand the complexities of red wolf conservation and determine if there is a path to encourage the state to continue its’ on-the-ground active red wolf management.

Red Wolf observation cam at the Museum of Life and Sciences

Check out the brief summarizing our findings here!

Course: ENV 498S

Instructor: Dr. Charlotte Clark

After what feels like a short four years at Duke, I’ve explored the concept of sustainability theoretically, practically, and experientially in many communities around the world. I will carry these lessons with me as I move forward in my career in the environmental science world. Thank you to all that have been a part of this journey!