Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Friday, March 29, 2024

Mountain Lions in Virginia, Yes? No?

 

Ben Shrader is a retired private practicing civil engineer/land surveyor/soil scientist, a lifelong outdoor enthusiast, a Virginia Master Naturalist, and board member of Cougar Rewilding Foundation.  Ben volunteered for Smithsonian Institution doing a trail camera predator survey along the Appalachian Trail and a project called “eMammal”.  Ben also volunteers as a hunter education instructor and is a life member of the Virginia Hunter Education Association. Past involvements include 9½ years’ service on Bedford County School Board and 10 years on board for Greater Lynchburg Community Trust Board. 

 

 The lecture is entitled, “Mountain Lions in Virginia, Yes?  No?” Ben comes to share some of what he has learned and data from 13 years of collection and recording mountain lion sightings in Virginia.  He will discuss the history of mountain lions in Virginia.  Do they exist in Virginia/Eastern U.S.?  What about alleged sightings?  What is mountain lion habitat?  Can people and predators coexist?  Can we afford not to?

 

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park.  It is being held at the Discovery Center at SML State Park from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. on March 31st.  Tickets are $8.00 and parking fee is included.  For information call SML State Park, 540-297-6066