Michael J. Fargione

Michael Fargione's responsibilities include the management of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies' natural areas and coordination of access to our properties and their resources.He provides direction, support and helps deliver outdoor educational efforts geared toward the general public.

Program goals include:

• The protection and proactive management of the Institute's natural resources in the context of our land stewardship responsibilities and with guidance provided by our Master Plan.
• To provide secure sites for and support of relevant ecological research.
• To facilitate opportunities for appropriate public use of our natural areas.
• To promote greater understanding of the Institute's work through outdoor-based public programs, interpretive features and outreach tools.
• To contribute to the Institute's ecological research efforts in areas related to primary responsibilities and as other duties allow.

Research Interests

Research interests involve understanding local predator-prey relationships, the interactions between human actions and wildlife populations, and finding ways to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.

Research projects currently involved in include studies of:

• The impacts of deer on forest communities and how these impacts can be altered using habitat management and controlled hunting programs.
• Use of trail cameras to understand wildlife distribution and abundance in managed ecosystems.
• The ecological role of man-made nest boxes as wildlife resources.