Valley Talk – Wildlife in the City: Exploring Philadelphia’s Urban Nature Through Trail Cameras with Julie Ellis presented by Univest Financial

In person at the Valley Green Inn or online on Zoom
As cities expand and urban populations grow, understanding how wildlife adapts to urban environments is increasingly important. Philadelphia is home to a surprising diversity of wildlife, but how do animals use the city’s green spaces, and how might their activity be influenced by habitat, development, and urban heat?
In this talk, Julie Ellis will introduce the Accessing Urban Nature Initiative (AUNI), a new Penn Vet project using a network of motion-activated trail cameras across Philadelphia to explore the city’s urban wildlife. In partnership with the Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN), AUNI is documenting which species live in the city, when and where they are active, and how wildlife activity relates to land cover and urban heat. Beyond the research, AUNI brings together Penn students and Philadelphia community partners to spark curiosity about urban wildlife, foster connections with nature, and encourage local stewardship. Join Julie to discover what trail cameras are revealing about the wild neighbors sharing our city—and how understanding and appreciating urban nature can help create healthier, more wildlife-friendly communities.
Julie C. Ellis, PhD, is a wildlife ecologist whose career spans seabird research, wildlife disease response, and collaborative initiatives that connect science, conservation, and public engagement. For more than 20 years, she has developed and led programs that advance wildlife health and conservation through partnerships across academic institutions, government agencies, and communities. Her work includes directing SEANET, a citizen-science network monitoring seabird mortality along the Atlantic coast; founding the Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative to strengthen regional capacity for wildlife health response; and co-founding Penn Vet’s Wildlife Futures Program, a major partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission focused on wildlife health and emerging diseases. Julie is currently Associate Director of One Health at Penn Vet, where she connects human, animal, and environmental health through collaborative research and community engagement.
Register here to attend in-person at the Valley Green Inn.
Register here to attend online on Zoom.
Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Univest Financial!