Shelley M. Alexander

Biography

Shelley is one of Canada's few international experts in wild canid ecology, specializing in coyotes and wolves. She also was a pioneer in the use of geospatial analysis in wildlife conservation and road ecology. Shelley is a Full Professor in the Department of Geography (UofC) and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (FRCGS).

Shelley leads the Canid Conservation Science Lab (@canid_lab), which practices non-invasive field methods and promotes the principles of Compassionate Conservation. Shelley led the Calgary Coyote Project (2005-2012), studying the relationship between coyote feeding ecology, human behaviour, media portrayal and conflict with coyotes: She also launched an on-line citizen-science mapping tool to monitor human-coyote interactions in Calgary. Subsequently, Shelley spearheaded the Foothills Coyote Initiative, FCI, (2015-present). Funded by SSHRC, the FCI employs mixed methods (interviews, field ecology, geospatial analysis) to explore landowners situational knowledge about coyotes, wildlife and ecosystem conservation. Since 2018 this project expanded to investigate the behaviour, ecology, social intelligence of, and human-disturbance effects on, coyote families living in the urban, peri-urban and rural environments of the FCI. This intensive research involves remote cameras, ground tracking, and direct observations. Her other research collaborations include: swift fox habitat analysis (Calgary Zoo), large carnivores and road effects in the Yucatan, MX (University de Campeche), hurricane effects on howler monkeys in Belize (UofC), and painted wolf conservation in Zimbabwe (Painted Dog Trust). Shelley teaches Animal Geography, Biogeography, Conservation GIS, Philosophy of Science in Geography, and Worldviews in Geography.

In 2020, Shelley held the Inaugural Fellow of Applied Ethics at the Calgary Institute for Humanities (CIH) where she explored wildlife oppression at the nexus of animal ethics, canadian laws, and colonialism. Shelley currently serves as the Scientific Director of Campus Wildlife at UofC, overseeing coexistence programming for UCalgary Living with Wildlife, related co-existence monitoring, program implementation and outreach (see website). This program was a finalist in the 31st Alberta Emerald Awards competition.

Shelley currently is both an elected community member on Senate and a member of the Board of Governors at UofC. She also is a member of the Executive Council for the CIH. Shelley previously was a member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Conservation Biology (N. America) and the Miistakis Institute of the Rockies (MRU), participated in the IUCN-Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, and enjoyed 7 years on the Calgary Foundation Environment and Recreation Grants committee. Shelley mobilizes science by engagement with media, outreach public presentations, and volunteer guided hikes.

Shelley thrives on time in nature observing wildlife, monitoring coyotes, walking with her dogs, and riding her horse in the Alberta Foothills.