Colleen Olfenbuttel
Wildlife Biologist with MassWildlife
Newton may be a lot wilder than you imagine. Many creatures, thought to be confined to more rural areas, happily visit or make their home in the Garden City. White-tailed deer, coyote, and fox have joined the squirrels, muskrats, rabbits, raccoons and skunks that we may be more familiar with. A wild turkey harassing a postal worker worker in Newtonville, a wild moose chase in Newton Corner, a fisher stalking squirrels at a local conservation area, a bald eagle feasting on freshly caught Charles River fish at Albemarle field, and an otter cavorting in a swimming pool in West Newton, are just a few indicators that we share the city with some very diverse and unusual wildlife.
The lecture will include slides and materials related to wildlife species living in Newton backyards, neighborhoods and open spaces. The proximity of such wildlife sometimes leads to unexpected conflict. Learn about their habits and ways to live with your wild neighbors. Also provided will be some natural history information and hints about how to keep wild things and people at a respectful distance. Free fact sheets and other wildlife-related materials will be available.
Colleen Olfenbuttel joined the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) in September 2005 as a wildlife biologist and furbearer project leader. She has her undergraduate degree in wildlife biology from Ohio University, and her Master’s degree in wildlife science from Virginia Tech, where she studied black bears in southwestern Virginia for 6 years. Besides black bears, she has performed research on brown bears in Alaska, island foxes in California, white-tailed deer in Minnesota, raptors in Michigan, and wolves in Montana and Wyoming.
