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Christine Jean Chambers

Rae Wynn-Grant

press release: National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series, and Overture Center for the Arts are proud to announce The Secret Life of Bears with Rae Wynn-Grant, coming to Capitol Theater on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at overture.org.

Rae Wynn-Grant is dedicated to wildlife ecology research, but it wasn’t until life brought her to Kenya at age 20 that she had ever taken a hike, pitched a tent to camp or seen a wild animal. While there, she studied East African lions—top carnivores that live in close quarters with local communities—and observed that problematic interactions between the two groups threatened conservation efforts. Now, Dr. Wynn-Grant is finding similar patterns for North American black and grizzly bears.

As a scientist with the National Geographic Society’s Last Wild Places Initiative, Dr. Wynn-Grant works to protect and restore iconic wildlife populations—grizzly bears, bison, pronghorn, cougars and more. But there’s an obstacle: roads, fences and cattle ranches crisscross the habitat of these wide-ranging animals. Dr. Wynn-Grant studies the movements and behaviors of the bears in an effort to find ways to improve the relationship between local communities and the powerful wildlife that surround them.

Join this committed carnivore ecologist for a fascinating look inside the secret lives of bears and a report from the front lines of the mission to help humans and carnivores coexist peacefully.

Rae Wynn-Grant is a large carnivore ecologist with an expertise in using statistical modeling to investigate how humans influence carnivore behavior and ecology. In particular, she is currently studying the drivers of human-carnivore conflict and the influence of human activity on connectivity of suitable carnivore habitat. Her current field system encompasses part of The Great Plains in northeastern Montana where she is studying potential corridors to facilitate grizzly bear conservation. Her previous research questions surrounded the ecological drivers of human-carnivore conflict with black bears in the Western Great Basin, African lions in rural Kenya and Tanzania, as well as grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

A native Californian, Dr. Wynn-Grant attributes her interest in wildlife and conservation from the television shows she watched as a child. She was introduced to the field of conservation biology as an undergraduate and is unapologetic about her passion for studying charismatic megafauna. Dr. Wynn-Grant serves on the Board of Governors for the Society for Conservation Biology and as a Special Director for The Explorer’s Club, where she largely aids the organizations in their equity, inclusion and diversity strategies.

Dr. Wynn-Grant received her B.S. in Environmental Studies from Emory University, her M.S. in Environmental Studies from Yale University and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University. She completed a Conservation Science Research and Teaching Postdoctoral fellowship with the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on the ecological and social drivers of carnivore behavioral patterns in human-modified landscapes. She is currently a Fellow with National Geographic Society working on carnivore conservation. She maintains a Visiting Scientist position at the American Museum of Natural History and adjunct faculty positions at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University.

National Geographic Live is the live events division of National Geographic. Its broad roster of talent, including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, share their behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage to audiences throughout the United States and abroad.

For more information on National Geographic Live and other National Geographic events, please visit nationalgeographic.com/events.

MEET THE ARTIST: Stay after the show for a brief, informal Q&A with the artist.

The North American Presenting Sponsor for the 2021-2022 season is Office Depot. Overture’s National Geographic Live series is sponsored by Exact Sciences.

NOTE: At this time, everyone who enters Overture Center must wear a mask and must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of entering along with a photo ID (children without a photo ID must be accompanied by a guardian). For more details, visit overture.org/health.