Living with wildlife is just something we do, whether we’re waiting for turkeys to cross the road at UC Davis or watching a coyote trot across a field at dawn.
But as people and the built world expand into natural habitats, wild and domestic animals — including humans — are increasingly sharing the same spaces, with mixed results. Interactions with large carnivores tend to conjure the strongest feelings, from awe and wonder to fear and anxiety.
The wind was whipping across a dark, open field near the southern edge of Yolo County when two small burrowing owls suddenly burst into flight. For a team of birders from UC Davis, the birds marked the 173rd species of the day, breaking a county record that had stood for 25 years.
It was the exciting conclusion of their “Big Day,” a fast-paced birding challenge to find and identify as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period. Their effort – spanning 150 miles of driving, 17 miles of walking and 41 stops – combined careful planning with a love of birds.
At UC Davis, Daniel Karp leads studies on how we can protect wildlife while growing abundant, healthy safe food. His USDA-funded research shows that removing natural habitat from farmland—often done to reduce foodborne illness—can actually make things worse. Farms that preserve habitats attract birds that eat crop-damaging pests and are less likely to carry foodborne disease. Karp’s work helps farmers adopt win-win practices that support biodiversity, food safety and sustainable agriculture.
From ducks and cranes to giant garter snakes and salmon, flooded rice fields in California’s Central Valley offer important — often vital — habitat to many wildlife species. Yet uncertainties around crop markets, water and climate can prompt some growers to fallow rice fields or change their management practices.
Will today’s rice acreage under current practices be enough to meet key species’ needs? If not, how much rice is needed? Where should it be planted? And what management practices offer the greatest benefit for species of concern?
