Dr. Wayne Caldwell is a professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development and has worked as a land use planner for years. He says that while significant effort goes into evaluating population and environmental health in urban areas, much less work focuses on improving health in rural communities.
Letting your cat outside might seem like harmless fun and good exercise for the animal, but it actually poses a serious risk to wildlife. Cats kill an estimated 2.5 billion birds every year, making them one of the leading causes of bird mortality. But it’s not just birds. Cats also prey on insects like butterflies and moths as well as small mammals during their outdoor excursions, and in turn, disturb the area’s biodiversity. It's really important that we get a handle on the specifics of this problem,” says Norris, “because if we lose biodiversity, we’re going to be in big trouble.”
Read more about "Outdoor cats a threat to more than just birds"
“[One Health] issues are challenging problems,” Dr. Brian Husband says, “so we’re giving students the skillset to think hard and critically about them. That’s powerful and will really benefit them going forward.”
