Foundations of Wildlife Conservation & Management

This 3-unit course introduces students to the historical, legal, institutional, ethical, and professional foundations of wildlife conservation and management in North America. Students examine the development of conservation thought, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and the roles of federal, state, tribal, academic, and non-governmental organizations in managing wildlife populations and habitats. Emphasis is placed on how science, policy, stakeholder values, public engagement, and ethical responsibilities shape real-world conservation decisions. Students also explore professional pathways, communication strategies, and career-development skills needed for effective practice in the wildlife profession.

This is a 3-credit course, consisting of three 1-credit units. You may register for 1, 2, or all 3 units. Select the number of units during registration. There is a 10% discount when registering for 2 units and 20% discount when registering for 3 units (see DATES & PRICING).

Each unit has 5 weeks of self-paced instruction, including an hour per week (1:30-2:30 PM Eastern US Time) of live discussion online or live streamed from the classroom at Colby-Sawyer College. Each unit’s assessments must be completed during the 5-week instructional period.

After the 5-week period ends, learners have access to material on Canvas for an additional 2 weeks.

Fall:

Unit 1: September 8, 2026 - October 25, 2026

Unit 2: October 12, 2026 - November 29, 2026

Unit 3: November 16, 2026 - January 3, 2027

(Early bird discount* ends August 9th)

10% discount when registering for 2 course units

20% discount when registering for all 3 course units

*Saves $75 on non-credit, $85 on academic credit format.

The above discounts are automatically applied during checkout.

None

Unit 1: Introduction to Wildlife Conservation & Management

• Describe the historical, legal, ethical, institutional, and philosophical foundations that have shaped wildlife conservation and management in the United States, including Indigenous stewardship, the conservation movement, key legislation, Aldo Leopold’s writings, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

• Explain how humans define, value, interact with, and manage wildlife and other natural resources.

• Analyze how ecological, social, economic, cultural, political, and ethical factors influence wildlife conservation and management decisions.

• Evaluate the role of human dimensions, public values, stakeholder perspectives, and professional ethics in contemporary wildlife conservation and management.

• Apply critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning to evaluate contemporary wildlife conservation and management issues.

Unit 2: Wildlife Science, Governance, & Decision-Making

• Explain how scientific information is generated, evaluated, peer-reviewed, published, communicated, and applied in wildlife conservation and management decision-making.

• Distinguish among monitoring, hypothesis-driven research, objectives-based management, structured decision making, and adaptive management, including the appropriate uses and limitations of each approach.

• Describe the roles, responsibilities, jurisdictions, and interactions of federal, state, tribal, academic, and non-governmental organizations in wildlife conservation and management.

• Evaluate how science, policy, governance, public values, ethics, co-management, and interagency coordination shape evidence-based wildlife conservation and management.

• Communicate technical scientific information and complex wildlife management issues effectively to professional, interdisciplinary, and non-technical audiences.

Unit 3: Professional Practice in Wildlife Careers

• Evaluate the role of stakeholder engagement, public participation, communication, facilitation, and conflict resolution in wildlife conservation and management.

• Analyze how public controversy, values, legal status, predator control, habitat manipulation, and species management decisions influence conservation practice.

• Apply professional and ethical standards, including The Wildlife Society’s Code of Ethics, to issues involving research, publishing, collaboration, partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and emerging tools such as artificial intelligence.

• Describe career pathways in wildlife conservation and management and identify the technical, field, analytical, communication, collaboration, certification, continuing education, mentorship, and networking skills needed for professional development.

• Develop a professional portfolio that includes a résumé or CV, career goals, relevant entry-level opportunities, training needs, and a mentorship and networking plan.