RBDA Public Meeting
Wednesday, November 19, 7:30 p.m.

A Puma Project Update: The Latest on Our Awesome Mountain Lions

A Presentation by Chris Wilmers

In person at Bonny Doon School and virtually via Zoom 

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Meeting Agenda

A Puma Project Update: The Latest on Our Awesome Mountain Lions – A Presentation by Chris Wilmers

Chris Wilmers is a wildlife ecologist and professor at UCSC, where he leads the Santa Cruz Puma Project. In this talk, he’ll share his latest findings on mountain lions (pumas), the powerful yet elusive predators that play a key role in California’s ecosystems. Chris will present what he’s learned about their basic biology—what they eat, how they raise young, and how they travel through their large home ranges, including Bonny Doon—as well as how they are challenged by living so close to people. From highways and housing to the simple presence of humans in the forest, he’ll show how these pressures shape puma survival and behavior, and what it means for conserving these iconic cats.

Chris’s research focuses on the ecology and conservation of large carnivores, with an emphasis on mountain lions and their role in shaping ecosystems in human-dominated landscapes. By combining fieldwork, GPS tracking, camera traps, and advanced statistical modeling, his work has illuminated how pumas move through fragmented habitats, interact with prey, and adapt to expanding urban infrastructure. Wilmers’s research not only advances ecological theory but also informs practical conservation strategies for sustaining predator populations alongside people.

Update from Supervisor Justin Cummings

Supervisor Cummings will join us to provide the latest information on county issues and his work on our behalf.

Nominations for RBDA Board Members

Election will be held at the January 2026 Annual Meeting.