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Lecture: Sporting Lead-Free for Wildlife Conservation
October 10 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm MDT
Sporting Lead Free: A Vital Step for Wildlife Conservation
By Hannah Leonard
October 10, 2024
Noon–1 p.m.
Coe Auditorium
Join us for the October Lunchtime Expedition, Sporting Lead Free: A Vital Step for Wildlife Conservation, by Hannah Leonard, program director for Sporting Lead-Free. Please note that this lecture takes place the second (rather than the first) Thursday of the month.
The in-person talk takes place in the Center’s Coe Auditorium, with a virtual attendance option available. If you prefer to join us online, you may register in advance via Zoom webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_U63TIIvCRa-7K9DDkQyf2w.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.
About the program
Rarely does an ecological problem arise with a clear, tangible, and positive solution. Over the past 20 years, a growing body of evidence has clearly identified both a significant, ubiquitous conservation issue and the solution to that issue. While lead poisoning in wildlife has been identified since the 1890s, the issue continues to persist with raptors and scavengers ingesting lead from hunted big game, upland birds, varmints, and fishing tackle.
This talk will cover how lead poisoning impacts certain wildlife species, how different sporting activities introduce lead into the environment, and how education and awareness can be used to solve a human caused issue. With a contentious issue such as this, we hope you will leave the presentation with new messaging tactics and knowledge for positive behavioral change for conservation!
About the speaker
Hannah Leonard is the Program Director for Sporting Lead-Free, a non-political, educational initiative working to reduce inadvertent lead consumption by wildlife and people through the voluntary choice of lead-free ammunition and tackle. Born and raised in Montana, Leonard has enjoyed outdoor pursuits her whole life. She is an avid fly fisher and hunter, always looking for ways to be involved such as leading women’s fly fishing groups and participating in sustainable hunting programs.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing and master’s degree in resource conservation, Leonard has a unique perspective on outreach efforts for the benefit of conservation. Her first connection to lead-free sporting came from encountering a lead poisoned golden eagle while hunting with a family friend in southwest Montana. This experience ignited a desire to educate others in the use of non-lead alternatives.
Upcoming Lunchtime Expeditions
The series generally continues on the first Thursday of each month.
• November 7: Wolverine Conservation, by ZooMontana staff
• December 5
Have you missed a Lunchtime Expedition?
The talks in this series are gathered in YouTube playlists by year:
• 2024 Lunchtime Expeditions
• 2023 Lunchtime Expeditions
