This webinar presents results of a long-running study on the effects resulting from targeted predator management in urban ecosystems. Associate professor Stephen Hartley and PhD student Tamara Encina will examine quantitative data on biodiversity responses across multiple taxonomic groups following predator control interventions. The session will address methodological considerations for urban predator management programs, and evidence-based approaches to predator control that maximize native biodiversity recovery in urban areas.

Stephen Hartley is an ecologist whose research supports the design of biodiverse, connected urban landscapes. He works closely with communities and councils to embed ecological principles into restoration and management of urban green spaces. Tamara Encina Becker is a veterinarian whose research focuses on interactions between introduced mammals and urban predator control, with an emphasis on mouse population dynamics, individual behaviour, and Toxoplasmosis. She uses a One Health approach to understand how disruptions in predator control affect urban biodiversity by quantifying the ecological and health outcomes of predator-free cities. She is passionate about inspiring future engaged citizens.