Dr. Mike Slattery: Environmental Scientist at TCU | Costa Rican Cloud Forests and South African Rhinos | Episode 012

Dr. Slattery is the Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at Texas Christian University, and he and his students are making waves all over the field of ecology! Listen in to hear more about TCU's research station in the Cloud Forests of Costa Rica, where it's not precipitation but the clouds themselves that feed the hydrologic cycle. We also discuss the plight of the South African Rhino, possible solutions to the problem, and the incredibly complex issue of wildlife poaching.

To learn more about TCU's Environmental Studies program, click here: https://environment.tcu.edu/

To learn more about rhinos in South Africa, click here: https://planetrhino.tcu.edu/

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode!

"If you’re dealing with difficult environmental issues, you need a broad range of perspectives."

"I think it’s not overstating the case to say that within a decade or two we’re looking at [rhinos] being gone unless we solve this problem."

"When someone in the bush gets approached by a poacher or a poaching syndicate, not even necessarily to poach an animal but just tell them where these animals are, and they can get the equivalent of one to four years salary just by telling them that and they can put food on the table to feed their family for one year or more, that’s an easy decision. I probably would make the same decision."

"Most people have that visceral reaction 'let’s just arm everybody and go shoot poachers.' We’re not going to be able to shoot our way out of this crisis."

"It all simply comes down to finding a way for these local communities to protect [the rhinos] themselves in the long run."

"I know we’ve turned every one of those young men and women into advocates for wildlife conservation, so that’s been really powerful."