Crime Scene Investigation Project
In this project, we worked with a partner to investigate a crime scene. Throughout our investigation, we logged, processed, and analyzed multiple pieces of evidence in order to build a case against the perpetrator. For each piece of evidence we summarized how it was processed and analyzed what was learned from it. We started by logging our crime scene and taking pictures of evidence. We then processed the evidence to find out who our victim was. Then we used the blood and hair found under the fingernails to determine who the perpetrator was. None of the DNA matched, so we do not know who did it.
I think that the most positive part of this project was that we went through the steps in a case that actual crime scene investigators go through when investigating a case. We started off with knowing nothing about the suspect and had to go through certain processes to discover who the victim was and who the suspects were. We had a list of possible victims and we had to do tests on the skeletal remains to determine if the victim was male or female and how tall he or she was.
I think that if I were to do this project again, one thing I would do differently would be to learn about all of the processes that are part of the investigation and not just the ones i have to do evidence logs on. I think that I would have a deeper understanding of the investigation as a whole. I think that it is important to have a good understanding of the procedures being used in order to understand how we got certain information and what certain information tells us.
I think that the most positive part of this project was that we went through the steps in a case that actual crime scene investigators go through when investigating a case. We started off with knowing nothing about the suspect and had to go through certain processes to discover who the victim was and who the suspects were. We had a list of possible victims and we had to do tests on the skeletal remains to determine if the victim was male or female and how tall he or she was.
I think that if I were to do this project again, one thing I would do differently would be to learn about all of the processes that are part of the investigation and not just the ones i have to do evidence logs on. I think that I would have a deeper understanding of the investigation as a whole. I think that it is important to have a good understanding of the procedures being used in order to understand how we got certain information and what certain information tells us.
Evolution Project
Ecological Solutions Project
Management Plans
1. Bear-proof trashcan mandate for Durango, CO.
a. Intro: · Human-bear conflicts (HBC) have become a major issue in mountain towns across the country, including Durango, CO (Bear 2011). These conflicts have resulted in bears getting into garbage, bears destroying human property, bears attacking people, and, consequently, bears being euthanized. During the summer of 2012, 20 black bears were killed in Aspen, CO. due to human-bear conflicts (Wackerle 2012). In 2011, 825 bears were sighted in Durango. 598 (72%) of those bears were seen getting into trash (Chamberlin 2012). In Boulder, Colorado, there were 208 bear sightings in the years 2009 and 2010. 75% of these sightings were attributed to trash as the attractant (Urie 2012). So, as you can see, trash is the main reason bears come into urban areas. b. Details: · This entails everyone (residential, commercial, rural) leaving their trash in a bear-proof container, whether they have had encounters with bears in the past or not. · Bear Smart Durango volunteers will present this proposal at City Council Meetings. · City Council will mandate the use of bear-proof trashcans by all residents of La Plata County by February 1st, 2013. However, the new law will not go into effect until August 1st, 2014. · Local law enforcement will enforce this law by going through Durango for a week starting August 1th and ending August 7th, 2014 making sure all residents have a bear-proof trashcan. · Residents who currently do not have a bear-proof trashcan may take their current trashcan to the nearest Waste Management Drop-Off Facility to have it exchanged. Those citizens who are unable to transport their trashcan to get it exchanged can get it picked up and exchanged for a $15.00 fee. · Starting February 1st, 2013, garbage collectors will attach notices to trashcans informing the resident that they will need to acquire a bear-proof trashcan by August 1st, 2014. Notices will be posted once every two months. · Currently there are 760 bear-proof trashcans in circulation in Durango (Associated 2012). · Colorado Parks and Wildlife is giving the city of Durango the money to buy 1000 bear proof trashcans. · By August 1st, 2013, 50% of the population will have bear-proof trashcans. By August 1st, 2014, every household in Durango will have bear-proof trashcans (About 2012). · This proposal aims to reduce the amount of bears that find food in the city and become habituated by 60% by August 1st, 2014. · Residents may call Bearsmart Durango, the city, or the Colorado Division of Wildlife to report non-compliance with these regulations. c. Benefits: · This is a good plan because if it is applied properly, it will be very effective. This is because simply removing the attractant (trash) will remove most bears’ drive to come into town (Baruch-Mordo 2012). d. Cons: · This plan might not work because it involves a lot of peoples’ cooperation and therefore may not be carried out properly. 2. Increase advertising of “Bear Aware Week” (Chamberlin 2012). a. Intro: · The Durango Spring Bear Wake-Up Social is an annual event at the Durango Discovery Museum on May 10th. Its goal is to educate the public about bears and ways to prevent human-bear conflict. Live music, speakers, and various contests are present at the event, making it a fun event for everyone (Chamberlin 2012). b. Details: · Advertising will be increased for the Durango Spring Bear Wake-Up Social so that more people come to the event and more people will be aware of ways to prevent HBC (Peterson 2012). · Flyers will be posted around town as a way of informing the public about the Durango Bear Wake-Up Social. · Advertisements will be put in the Durango Herald and the Telegraph encouraging people to come to the Bear Wake-Up Social. Advertisements will be paid for by Bear Smart Durango. · The Wake-Up Social Facebook™ page will be updated by Bear Smart Durango to notify people about the event (Bear 2012). · This plan will have been effective if attendance has a 50% increase from the last event (Chamberlin 2012). c. Benefits: · The public will be educated about what they can do to help prevent human-bear conflict while also having fun with their kids and participating in a “Bear Scat” eating contest and listening to live music (Chamberlin 2012). · Messages will reach large amounts of people. d. Cons: · Cost could outweigh the benefit of the festival. · It is possible that nobody would come to the festival and it would all be for nothing. 3. Moving nuisance bears away from town by diversionary feeding. a. Intro: · Autumn is the time when all the leaves are falling off of trees and plants in preparation for winter. Since these plants make up around 90% of a bear’s diet and autumn is when bears are stocking up on food for hibernation and need more calories than normal, they have to search harder for food, which can drive them to easy food in the garbage cans of humans (Tighem 1997). On average, bears consume around 20,000 calories a day in preparation of hibernation (Mazur 2008). That is the equivalent of eating 40 Big Mac’s a day! b. Details: · There will be 6 feeding points where food will be dropped for the bears so they do not come into town looking for food and get into trash (Get 2012). · Four drop-points will be west of town and 2 will be east of town. This is because bear incidences seem to be more concentrated on the west side of the river (Bear 2011). · Drop points will have a no-hunting zone within 10 miles of the point (see approximate locations on map). The exact locations of feeding points will be kept hidden from the public. · Roadkill picked up by Division of Wildlife in La Plata County can be used for food in these drop points, as well as unused apples from MI Huerta Hermosa Orchard. · Once a week, 2 DOW wildlife technicians will pick up road kill and unused apples from MI Huerta Hermosa Orchard and transport the food to the drop points. · Food drop refills will be begin June 1st and end December 1st (About 2012). Food drop points will not be refilled the month of September because that is black bear hunting season and hunters could stumble upon a drop point and take advantage of it (Colorado 2012). · The Colorado Division of Wildlife will pay its employees to check and fill the drop points once a week. · This plan will be considered successful if, when combined with plan 1, HBC will be reduced by 95% from 2011 (Bear 2011). c. Benefits: · Bears mainly come in to towns because they are hungry and this plan helps them get food without having to jeopardize their lives by going for trash in neighborhoods (Kvatum 2010). · Draws bears away from town humanely and without violence. d. Cons: · Could be too expensive to maintain. · Hunters could take advantage and kill the bears that come to feed. |
Title
Bear Wake-Up Social Flyer
Map of Diversionary Feeding Drop Points
Map of Bear Incidences Reported in Durango
Budget and Timeline
Bibliography
"About Black Bears." Bears/BearSMART Durango: Durango, CO. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://bearsmartdurango.org/bears.shtml>.
Associated Press, The. "Colorado Tests How Well Bear-proof Trash Bins Work." The Daily Sentinel. N.p., 7 July 2012. Web. Baruch-Mordo, Sharon, Stewart W. Breck, Kenneth R. Wilson, and John Broderick. "The Carrot of the Stick? Evaluation of Education and Enforcement as Management Tools for Human-Wildlife Conflicts." PLoS ONE E15681 6.1 (2011): 1-8. Print. Bear Smart Durango. "Spring Bear Wake-Up Social | Facebook." Facebook. N.p., 08 May 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. Bear Smart Durango. 2011 Summary Report. Rep. no. 2011. Durango, CO: Bear Smart Durango, 2011. Print. Bear Smart Durango. Party Like a Bear! Digital image. No Thanks, I Already Ate. Blogspot.com, 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Benjamin, Shane. "Ursine 101." The Durango Herald. N.p., 04 Oct. 2012. Web. Bertch, Barbara, and Mike Gibeau. Black Bear Mortalities in the Mountain National Parks: 1990-2009. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Jan. 2010. Web. Chamberlin, Tracy. "Smarter than the Average Bear." Durango Telegraph. N.p., 17 May 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. Colorado Parks & Wildlife. "Colorado Hunting Planner." N.p., 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Get Bear Smart Society. "Diversionary Feeding." Get Bear Smart Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. Haug, Jim. "Durango to Be Reimbursed for as Many as 1,000 Bear-proof Bins." The Durango Herald. N.p., 05 July 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. Kvatum, Lia. "Please DO Feed the Bears, Biologist Says." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 05 May 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Mazur, Rachel, and Victoria Seher. "Socially Learned Foraging Behaviour in Wild Black Bears, Ursus Americanus." Animal Behaviour 75.4 (2008): 1503-508. Web. Peterson, Bryan. "Bears Are Awake, Ready for Warm Weather – Are You?" The Durango Herald. N.p., 02 May 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. Tighem, Kevin Van. Bears. Canmore, Alta.: Altitude Pub., 1997. Web. Urie, Heath. "Boulder Plans Pilot Program to Test Bear-resistant Trash Bins in Parts of City." Boulder Daily Camera. N.p., 27 Jan. 2012. Web. Wackerle, Curtis. "Wildlife Official: 20 Bears Euthanized so Far This Summer." Aspen Daily News Online. N.p., 31 July 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. WSPA. "Bin Raiding." Human Bear Conflict. N.p., 2010. Web. <http://www.humanbearconflict.org/binraiding.htm>. |