Wisconsin student chapters welcome busy fall semesters

The following student chapter news was included in the fall 2018 newsletter of the Wisconsin Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Photos of student chapter activities are also included in the newsletter.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society
By Megan Kruse, President

The UW-Madison Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society has a new team of officers that are ready for an exciting year. Over the summer, students conducted frog and toad surveys for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The student chapter is beginning to plan the annual Wild Game Dinner, which will happen in December. During September, they hosted an exhibit on animal adaptations during Capitol Springs Recreation Area’s Harvest Moon Festival, an event that gives the public the chance to learn about the natural world through hands-on exhibits and activities. Students also attended the Wisconsin Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s fall technical training in the Flambeau River State Forest, where they learned about elk and forest management. In October, the Student Chapter attended TWS’s Annual Conference in Cleveland. Some other events scheduled for the 2018 fall semester include attending Madison’s Demeter Annual Corn Roast, having a highway cleanup day, taking a hiking trip in Devil’s Lake State Park, viewing the sandhill crane migration at the Leopold Center in Baraboo and bird banding at the Sand Bluff Bird Observatory. The student chapter also plans to host plenty of interesting and informative speakers at the monthly general meetings.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society
By McKenna Hammons, President

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Student Chapter kicked off the school year with the release of a new student chapter logo. Throughout the course of a year, Vice President Benjamin Tjepkes worked with a graphic designer to make an official logo for the student chapter. The white-tailed deer represents members standing tall, with or without ornamentation. The squirrel represents the educators the student chapter works closely with, who cache bits of knowledge in their brains. The advisor is represented by the owl who showcases the wisdom he shares. The eagle represents alumni who show students how high they can soar. Finally, the bat is the new members that the student chapter will help guide through the darkness. UWSP is excited to showcase this logo on apparel this year, and a complimentary sticker will be provided to members with their membership payment.

Three members, Alyssa Johnson, Nate Weisenbeck, and Cole Suckow, attended the Wisconsin Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s fall technical training and were ecstatic to learn about the Wisconsin elk herd. The members’ favorite part was bugling for the elk and seeing them in person.

Student chapter projects have been off to a great start with members already participating in flying squirrel trapping, small mammal trapping, and saw-whet owl banding. A new project was added this year for captive wildlife. Led by Ben Strong, this project is focused on visiting wildlife rehabilitation centers and zoos and volunteering. Ben and a few other members volunteered a day at the Dane County Humane Society-Four Lakes Wildlife Center helping to build raptor perches and winterize enclosures. The wild bird project will be visiting Hawk Ridge in Duluth, Minnesota in October to see raptors and attend an owl presentation and goshawk tour.

Twelve members attended TWS’s Annual Conference in Cleveland. The ruffed grouse project, led by Benjamin Tjepkes, Brandon Rochefort, Joe Quehl, Rachel Martin, and Jeff Williams presented a poster on the spatial position and orientation of drumming logs. The lagomorph project, represented by Sabrina Clayes and Hannah Schley, presented a poster on comparing parasite diversity and abundance in rural and urban eastern cottontail rabbits in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Sean Mason and Leah Bell represented the waterfowl project with a poster on the ecology of box-nesting waterfowl in Central Wisconsin: biological vs. societal benefits. The student chapter enjoyed competing in the annual quiz bowl and networking.