Speaker Series: Dr. Rich Reading- The African Vulture Crisis

On February 19th, we’ll travel further afield with Dr. Rich Reading, Vice President of Science & Conservation at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. Despite their name, they do far more than just butterflies. Dr. Reading will be speaking on the African Vulture crisis. Whether or not your upcoming travel plans include Africa, this talk will offer lots to think about regarding global and local conservation, plus the importance of vultures in our landscape. Be sure to mark your calendars!

Dr. Reading received a Ph.D. and three master’s degrees from Yale University in Wildlife Ecology and Human Dimensions of Wildlife. For his long-reaching conservation work in Mongolia, he received, in 2020, the Order of the Polar Star, the highest honor from the Mongolian National Government for expatriates. Dr. Reading has conducted or overseen projects on six continents, from the steppes and deserts of Mongolia to the Altiplano of Peru and the Great Plains of North America. His work focuses on developing pragmatic and interdisciplinary approaches to the conservation of wildlife in protected areas through research, development of capacity, and the involvement of local people and governments.

Dr. Reading is currently the VP of Science and Conservation at the Butterfly Pavilion, serves on the board of many non-profit organizations, and was recently appointed to serve a four-year term on the Governor’s Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.