Flying into Wildlife & Wind Energy- David Drake

Wind energy offers many benefits, including a renewable source of energy that does not produce air or water
pollution. A drawback to generating energy from wind, however, is the negative effect it can have on flying
wildlife (birds and bats). These effects can range from lethal ones due to blunt force trauma from striking the
turbine infrastructure to non-lethal ones like habitat displacement. My presentation will provide some
background about wind energy and then focus on research my lab and I conducted at the Forward Energy wind
farm in Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties.

David Drake is a Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research and extension programs primarily focus on wildlife and
wildlife damage management in human-dominated landscapes.