Tuesday, November 17, 1pm ET
Click Here to Register
REWI is formulating an updated research plan for its Wind-Wildlife Research Program. From February through September 2026, REWI held 21 listening sessions with various stakeholder groups interested in reducing the challenges to accelerating wind energy to mitigate climate change while conserving wildlife and ecosystems. Based on the challenges and solutions introduced by stakeholders during these listening sessions, REWI has drafted a list of priority research topics to tackle over the next several years. This feedback webinar asks participants to complete a feedback exercise intended to assess the value and/or define uncertainties of each research topic. Through these exercises, participants can help inform the direction of REWI’s Wind-wildlife Research Program. Participants will also gain a better understanding from each other of the community’s perceived challenges in developing environmentally responsible wind energy projects as well as the benefits for developers, decision makers, and wildlife in addressing certain knowledge gaps. This is one of two virtual feedback sessions being held on REWI’s updated research plan for its Wind-Wildlife Research Program, in addition to an in-person lunch and learn workshop at the 2026 WWRM. The other virtual session takes place on Thursday, November 12 – click here to register.
Plan Authors
Shilo Felton, Ph.D., REWI Senior Scientist, Wind-Wildlife Program Lead
Shilo Felton is a Senior Scientist supporting REWI’s work in developing science, tools, and strategies for wind and solar siting and operations that minimize impacts on wildlife and wildlife habitats. Shilo implements the goals of the wind-wildlife program. She has over 10 years of experience in wildlife conservation science, working with USFWS, NPS, San Diego Zoo, Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife, MassAudubon, the Town of Harwich, and most recently with the National Audubon Society, providing scientific expertise toward its renewable energy engagement. Shilo served as a Climate Science Fellow for the USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Center and as a Research Assistant for the USGS Cooperative Research Unit, where she led a project investigating the implications of management decisions for American Oystercatcher populations, in partnership with NPS. She earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego, an M.Sc. in Biology from Western Kentucky University, and a Ph.D. in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from North Carolina State University.
Eric Schauber, Ph.D., REWI Director of Research & Programs
Eric Schauber joined REWI in February 2024 and serves in directing all research initiatives. He is a wildlife ecologist with wide research interests and expertise in modeling and quantitative analysis. Much of his research has addressed practical conservation topics involving spatial elements such as habitat fragmentation, movement and contact patterns, and dynamics between refuges and hot spots of risk. He has led studies ranging from pesticide effects on small mammals to Lyme disease risk to social behavior of deer. Previously, Eric was the Illinois State Biologist and Director of the Illinois Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Before that he taught and conducted research as a member of the Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Connecticut, a Master’s in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University, and a Bachelors in Wildlife Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Interested in supporting REWI webinars? REWI is now offering sponsorship opportunities for our 2026 Webinars — including this one! Sponsorship helps us keep these events accessible and informative while providing your organization with meaningful visibility across the renewable energy and wildlife community