WILDLIFE
SPECIALIST CITES BENEFITS
OF ECO-INTELLIGENT
COMMUNITIES
BLACKSBURG,
Nov. 18, 2003 - How
urban landscape design,
from small to large
scales, affects wildlife
distributions was
the focus of a recent
talk by Extension
wildlife specialist
Mark Hostetler at
Virginia Tech's College
of Natural Resources.
An expert on the development
of eco-intelligent
communities, Hostetler
is a professor at
the University of
Florida.
He
is known for his extensive
experience in working
with homeowners, developers
and policymakers on
ways to manage and
design "green" developments.
Hostetler is developing
educational programs
that will help homeowners
manage their yards
and neighborhoods
to conserve natural
resources.
He
is working with several
developers to establish
natural resource management
in Florida communities.
Communities that are
sustainably developed,
or "green," connect
human development
with wildlife and
resource management.
With help from such
organizations as the
Audubon Society, Florida
Green Building Coalition
and the United States
Green Building Council,
Hostetler has been
encouraging homeowners
to form eco-intelligent
communities for long-term
planning. Additional
information is available
by contacting Hostetler
at hotetlerm@wec.ufl.edu.
The College of Natural
Resources at Virginia
Tech consistently
ranks among the top
five programs of its
kind in the nation.
Faculty members stress
both the technical
and human elements
of natural resources
and instill in students
a sense of stewardship
and land-use ethics.
Areas of studies include
environmental resource
management, fisheries
and wildlife sciences,
forestry, geospatial
and environmental
analysis, natural
resource recreation,
urban forestry, wood
science and forest
products, geography,
and international
development.
