I follow a lot of researchers on Twitter.
Not only are they a fascinating reminder of the strange and wonderful ways that science is conducted and performed, but often they’re a treasure trove of ideas and facts about the world I may never otherwise have known about.
Case in point - wild pigs.
When I think about wild pigs (which I don’t often do) I picture herds of scruffy hogs running around the wilds of Texas, or in dark forests in eastern Europe.
But in Saskatchewan? In ONTARIO? No way.
That’s were Ryan Brook comes in. Dr. Brook is a professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan, and his Twitter feed is typically choc-a-bloc with stories and data and images from his time researching the spread and impact of wild pigs across Canada. And yes, even into Ontario.
I want a story on this for A\J, so much so that I’m going to travel up to Trent on Monday, November 19 to take in his lecture and conduct a Q & A with Dr. Brook after he’s done speaking for a special A\J Q & A piece.
I’m inviting anyone who has the time and interest to attend Brook’s lecture and is interested in writing something for A\J about it to contact me before 2:00 pm on Monday. We can discuss what a piece could look like on wild pigs in Ontario and collaborate on the story together.
Questions? Email me at editorial @ alternativesjournal . com and we can talk it through.
Wild pigs, everyone. Wild pigs.
Andrew
Editor-in-Chief