Calen Wong completed his undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, and he is now the third MSc student to work on our road ecology project at White Lake, South Okanagan.   The rattlesnakes at this location have been continuously monitored since 2015 with a focus on assessing and mitigating the impact of road mortality on the population.  Stephanie Winton established the project, Jade Spruyt monitored the snakes immediately after road underpassages were built, and now Calen is documenting the longer-term response of the population.  His study includes surveys for road deaths and mark/recapture work at the dens to quantify population changes.  He is also using radio-telemetry to compare the behavioural ecology of the ‘Big 3’ threatened snake species (rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, and racers) to better understand their susceptibility to road mortality and their use of road underpasses.

Calen’s project receives support from the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, Environment Canada and the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.  The project takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan People,  and the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch

You can contact Calen at wongc22@mytru.ca