Members of our team recently attended the 2023 North American Caribou & Arctic Ungulate Conference, where they had the privilege of listening to speakers teach them about how arctic wildlife adapts to current environmental changes. This provided our team with valuable insights into the data biologists gather on wild ungulate populations, empowering us to educate the public and take further steps to support these animals. They got to engage with individuals from around the globe about the trends observed in wild ungulate populations.
The conference revolved around the theme, “Crossing Boundaries,” emphasizing the regular movement of Arctic ungulates across landscapes and their role in connecting ecological processes across different systems. Such mobile behavior highlights the need for partnerships and collaboration spanning management and national boundaries. An increasingly vital aspect of these partnerships involves bridging the gap between Western scientific knowledge and Indigenous wisdom, enabling us to explore innovative approaches for managing and preserving Arctic ungulate populations in a world undergoing significant changes.
This conference successfully brought together many who shared their expertise on caribou, muskoxen, Dall’s sheep, moose, and reindeer. The event facilitated meaningful exchanges of viewpoints, concerns, and recommendations, focusing on health, management, utilization and study of arctic ungulates.