HMANA Lunch & Learn Series: Lead Impacts on Wildlife
Wednesday, October 25 at 12:00 pm EST
The Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) was excited to welcome Hannah Leonard for the October, 2023 Lunch & Learn. Rarely does an ecological problem arise with a clear, tangible, and positive solution. Over the past 20 years, a growing body of evidence has clearly identified both a significant, ubiquitous conservation issue and the solution to that issue. While lead poisoning in wildlife has been identified since the 1890’s, the issue continues to persist with raptors and scavengers ingesting lead from hunted big-game, upland birds, varmints, and fishing tackle.
Hannah covered how lead poisoning impacts certain wildlife species, how different sporting activities introduce lead into the environment, and how education and awareness can be used to solve a human caused issue. With a contentious issue such as this, we hope you will leave the presentation with new messaging tactics and knowledge for positive behavioral change for conservation!
Hannah Leonard is the Program Director for Sporting Lead-Free, a non-political, educational initiative working to reduce inadvertent lead consumption by wildlife and people through the voluntary choice of lead-free ammunition and tackle. Hannah’s first connection to lead-free sporting came from encountering a leaded golden eagle while hunting with a family friend in southwest Montana. This experience ignited a desire to educate others in the use of non-lead alternatives.
