MCAS Zoom Community Program – May 19th – Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
Photo courtesy of USFWS
WHEN: Monday, May 19th, 2025, 7:00 pm
TITLE: Illegal Wildlife Trafficking: Second biggest threat to species after habitat destruction and fourth biggest illegal activity worldwide
PRESENTERS:
● Nancy Foley, California Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Chief (Retired), Morro Coast Audubon Society Vice President
● Nate Smith, California Fish and Wildlife Department Assistant Chief
● Ed Newcomer, Jr., J.D., Senior Special Agent USFWS (Retired)
WHERE: Join Zoom Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 952 7614 6481; Passcode: 611492
You can also find the link to the Zoom meeting in the MCAS Events Calendar. Use the link to that calendar in the header of our website https://www.morrocoastaudubon.org/.
All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.
If you are not already an MCAS member, please consider becoming a member of MCAS at https://www.morrocoastaudubon.org/p/become-mcas-member.html to support MCAS’s mission and activities, including Community Programs.
Description:
Did you know illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is behind only arms, drugs and human trafficking globally? Did you know that, in the mid 1990s, a legislative study was conducted in California and, at that time, illegal wildlife trade in California was second only to the drug trade? IWT is one of the world’s largest criminal activities. Please join us as we meet and listen to three officers (both retired and current) that have spent years investigating illegal wildlife trade, both in California and abroad.
Bios:
Nancy Foley, California Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Chief (Retired), Morro Coast Audubon Society Vice President
Nancy has spent her professional career engaged in conservation and conservation law enforcement work. She has worked in National Parks, California State Parks, and then found her true passion as a California Wildlife Officer. She worked not only uniform patrol but also for the Special Operations Unit, investigating illegal commercialization of wildlife. Nancy rose through the ranks and eventually led the Law Enforcement Division as Chief and served as a Deputy Director for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Since retirement from CDFW, Nancy has been actively working with officers worldwide to build a network to beat the web of illegal wildlife traffickers. Nancy has done this work as a contractor with USFWS. Also, Nancy is a lifelong birder and currently serves as the Vice President of Morro Coast Audubon.
Nate Smith, California Fish and Wildlife Department Assistant Chief
Nate has had significant connections to the central coast as he received both his Undergraduate and Masters degrees from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Nate started his career with California State Parks and at one point was stationed at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). Nate was a K9 handler with State Parks and continued with a K9 partner when he joined the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nate has worked as a Captain for the CDFW K9 program which currently has 21 K9 teams. Nate also oversees the Special Operations Unit which focuses on illegal commercialization of wildlife.
Ed Newcomer, Jr., J.D., Senior Special Agent USFWS (Retired)
Ed has had a career in Law Enforcement starting with work in both Colorado and Washington in the respective Attorney General Offices as a prosecutor. Ed moved from there to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a Special Agent where he conducted complex criminal investigations involving wildlife and wildlife laws. In 2010-2011, Ed served as an overseas law enforcement advisor to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Wildlife Enforcement Network as an official representative of the US Government and conducted investigations touching every continent, including Antarctica.
From 2015-2020, Ed served as the Law Enforcement Attache to Southern Africa as the senior representative of the US Fish and Wildlife Service based at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, responsible for agency operations in nine countries.
Ed is currently the host of the podcast Nature’s Secret Service.
If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Community Programs Chair: CommPrograms@morrocoastaudubon.org
