Webinar #1 in WREN Environmental Webinar Series
September 3, 2014
Summary
Quarterly webinar #1 will explore the effects of wind energy on bats. This webinar series supports WREN’s goal to facilitate international collaboration that advances global understanding of environmental effects of offshore and land-based wind energy development.
Presenters
Bat-Friendly Operation Algorithms: Reducing Bat Fatalities at Wind Turbines in Central Europe
Dr. Oliver Behr received his Masters in Zoology in 2001 and his Ph.D. in Biology in 2005 from the University of Erlangen, Germany. Since 2005, Dr. Behr has worked on environmental impact studies and data analyses for several wind energy projects. Between 2006–2009, Dr. Behr served as the Project Director for the “Development of methods to analyze and mitigate collision risk of bats at on-shore wind turbines”, a project funded by the German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety. Since 2011, Dr. Behr has worked on 2 follow-up projects funded by the same Ministry.
Strategies to Reduce Bat Fatalities at Wind Energy Facilities
Dr. Cris Hein is the Director of the Bats and Wind Energy Program for Bat Conservation International (BCI) and the Program Coordinator for the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. Dr. Hein received his Masters in Biology from Texas State University in 2001, and his Ph.D. in Forestry and Natural Resources from the University of Georgia in 2008. Dr. Hein has been studying bat behavior and ecology for 15 years and bats and wind energy issues for 7 years. Prior to working for BCI, Dr. Hein was the lead bat biologist for ABR, Inc., Environmental Research and Services.
A video recording of the webinar has been posted below: