On Monday, July 29 at 6:00 p.m., Chris Schadler of Project Coyote will be at KFL to discuss this fascinating species.

An eastern coyote is defined as much by its western coyote ancestry as by its DNA contribution from the Eastern wolf. “Our” coyotes vary physically and behaviorally from its smaller relative – while still carrying the incredible adaptability and canniness of Wile E. Coyote. This program takes a deep dive into the ecology and behavior of this creature, its indefatigability and how it is the human who must adapt to live with the ‘One Who Cannot Be Removed’.

On the horizon, however, is a native carnivore which fled the northeast during wolf removal and now may be trying to return: The eastern wolf. A look-alike to the coyote, it has been killed mistakenly for its similarity of appearance to the coyote. We’ll talk about how the wolf and coyote might negotiate a truce in the northeast and how we might do the same.

Chris’ interest in wild canids began in the 1970s as a volunteer at the 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, receiving many teaching excellence awards. 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 co-founded the NH Wildlife Coalition, is a founding member of the North East Wolf Recovery Alliance and also Chairs the Webster Conservation Commission.