![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2022\/08\/Rainwater-with-skull-600-portrait-e1476365268200.jpg\")
Dr. Thomas Rainwater<\/p><\/div>\n
His talk, \u201cReality Bites: Cultural Challenges in Conserving the World\u2019s Endangered Crocodiles and Turtles\u201d is free and open to the public. The\u00a0CLP\u00a0talk is sponsored by the Friends of the Furman University Libraries, Tri Beta Biological Honor Society, and the Furman Environmental Action Group.<\/p>\n
Loss of biodiversity is one of the most important issues facing the Earth. Multiple stressors are responsible for the decline in biodiversity\u2014a reality directly correlated with human culture. In his presentation, Dr. Rainwater will speak to the plight of some of the world\u2019s most endangered crocodilians and turtles, and how different human cultures can influence conservation efforts.<\/p>\n
He will also provide a personal perspective on how culture can both hinder and aid in wildlife conservation, sharing the highs and lows of a life spent studying imperiled reptiles. Rainwater\u2019s talk will provide the audience a unique opportunity to learn about the intersection of science and culture as well as a glimpse into life on the front lines of wildlife conservation.<\/p>\n
Rainwater has spent the last 20 years studying the biology, ecotoxicology, and conservation of wildlife, particularly endangered crocodilians and turtles. He has published over 185 scientific articles, book chapters, and papers on these topics stemming from field projects in Belize, Costa Rica, India, South Africa, and the United States. He is Research Scientist and Wildlife Research Coordinator at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources\u2019 Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center and Clemson University\u2019s Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, both in Georgetown, S.C.<\/p>\n