A Volunteer's Perspective: My New Way to Walk in Nature

Citizen scientist Sandra Kooper sent in this report from Northern Illinois about how Eyes on the Wild fits into her personal conservation ethic.

What better antidote to the blustery winds and frigid temperatures engulfing our region, than Season 3 at Cedar Creek! Green grasses blowing in the summer breeze. Deer standing chest high in lush foliage. Wildlife co-existing each within their own perfect ecological system.

It was a broken shoulder and post-surgical house confinement, with its accompanying bouts of utter “stir-craziness” that brought me to the Cedar Creek: Eyes on the Wild citizen scientist project.

Prior to my injury, I had walked in my local forest preserve daily, delighting in the frequent sightings of deer, coyote, and, yes, even skunk. On December 1 the signs appeared at the forest preserve entrance announcing the start of the four-month Deer Management season. I knew the deer I had seen during the summer and fall - the stately buck, the gentle doe and her two mischievous fawns - probably would not survive the cull. I was devastated. I was also driven to research non-lethal ways to control urban deer populations. I knew population management in our urban setting was necessary. I just wanted to find another way to accomplish it.

I discovered that alternative methods existed. Were they perfect? Not yet. Were they promising? Absolutely. Communities that were trying non-lethal methods of population control were forward thinking pioneers. Even though they risked failure, they were willing to try.

Inspired by the work of these forward-thinking communities, I took on a one-woman mission to bring information about these alternative methods for deer management to the public. I hoped ordinary citizens like me could bring about the sea change needed to transition out of the current system of lethal management.

And then the injury and my house confinement. My daily campaigns at the forest preserve sharing knowledge about immuno-contraception and sterilization of deer stopped. But my passion did not.

Now I get my daily deer sightings on my laptop through Eyes on the Wild at Cedar Creek. I also regularly have my courage renewed when I see so intimately how these beautiful creatures go about their cycles of life when man and nature live in balance.

I have so many “favorites” from my classifications, like the sweet series of the doe nurturing her newborn fawn, or the pack of young coyotes playing a rollicking game of hide-and-seek. But, perhaps the image that most captures my love of and respect for this amazing living planet is the photo of the deer gazing into the rays of a June evening’s setting sun. 

I hope our efforts as Citizen Scientists and the work of the researchers at Cedar Creek continue to highlight the “secret lives” of our partners on this planet. May a respectful co-existence between man and nature flourish.

Sandra Kooper

Northern Illinois

Want to share your experiences on the project? Email Caitlin (caitlin@umn.edu) and Emma (bubli018@umn.edu) with your text and we'll help fill in the images!