A partnership between the Scarborough Public Library and Scarborough Land Trust will feature conservation biologist Geri Vistein on Wednesday, April 7, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Vistein’s presentation, “Coyote … America’s Songdog,” will be offered via Zoom.

More Scarborough residents are encountering coyotes in everyday life, making this program timely. The program is free and open to the public.

Geri Vistein is a Carnivore Conservation biologist whose focus is carnivores and their vital role in maintaining the biodiversity of our planet. In addition to research and collaboration with fellow biologists, foresters, and organizations in Maine, she focuses her work on educating our Maine community about carnivores, and how people can coexist with them. She achieves this by working closely with farmers who wish to learn coexisting skills, by creating outreach projects with artists, musicians, and puppeteers, experiential programs for children, pursuing citizen science, and by presenting various programs on carnivores and us to diverse audiences all over the state of Maine. She is the founder of Coyote Center for Carnivore Ecology and Coexistence whose mission is to share with community members the science we of returning carnivores and the skills to live well with them.

Vistein said, “because the life on earth is deeply interrelated and complex, this presentation is inclusive, touching upon anthropology, archaeology, prehistoric and modern history, Native American life, poetry, human psychology, human belief systems, European world views, wildlife science and ecology, animal husbandry, and much more.”

The virtual program on April 7 will center on the following “Perceptions and Relationships:” coyote and Native Americans and European Americans, coyote’s relationship with other wildlife and the ecosystem, and coyote and us — how we share our lives with coyotes. Community members will have a chance to come together virtually and tell stories, ask questions, and share a dialogue that helps all to understand better the very deep-rooted relationships with all life, including with fellow humans. To learn more about coyotes, visit Geri Vistein’s educational website www.CoyoteLivesinMaine.org.

“We are pleased to offer this program in cooperation with the Scarborough Public Library,” said Andrew Mackie, executive director of Scarborough Land Trust. “Coyotes play an important ecological role in our region and its part of our job to help separate fact from myth related to these animals.”

“This partnership with the Scarborough Land Trust is important to us,” Nancy Crowell, library director, added. “The Scarborough Public Library is committed to supporting the environmental interests of town residents programmatically and through our own sustainability efforts including the Library’s pesticide-free lawn, solar panels, and electric vehicle charging station.

Learn more about Coyote … America’s Songdog and register to receive the Zoom link on the Library’s website, www.scarboroughlibrary.org/adults/events/general-adult/coyote-americas-song-dog.