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Presentation at Northland College explores attitudes towards wolves 


October 5, 2012

Dr. Tom Heberlein, an environmental sociologist, will discuss the results of his studies on attitudes towards wolves in the Midwest and Sweden at Northland College next week. The presentation, dubbed "Navigating Environmental Attitudes: Lessons from Wolves," will be held on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. in the Sentry Room of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute (SOEI). The event, another offering in the Northland College Community Connections series, is free and open to the public. 


Heberlein is a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology, as well as in the Gaylord Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies. He will define attitudes, how they change, and what attitudes have to do with human behavior. Heberlein will also discuss how attitudes have played a role in the success of wolf restoration and analyze whether negative attitudes toward wolves may impact their numbers in the future. The presentation surrounds findings published in his recent book, "Navigating Environmental Attitudes."


"Perhaps no other creature stirs human passions as much as the wolf, and those sentiments have created a great deal of controversy around wolf management," said Mark Peterson, SOEI Executive Director. "A greater understanding of human attitudes towards the environmental issues facing us today, such as wolf management, can be very helpful in the design of actions and policies that can successfully address these controversies."


Heberlein also serves as a visiting professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies in Umeå, Sweden. He is a former board member of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute. His presentation is scheduled as part of Timber Wolf Awareness Week, which runs rom Oct. 14-21.