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Graduate Students

Wisconsin Waterfowl Productivity Project​​	Saskatchewan Waterfowl Production​​ Project	Prairie Pothole Region, SD Waterfowl Production  ​​
Amanda Grisw​​old Amanda Griswold started her graduate research with Sedinger in Fall of 2022.  Her work continues a research project that began in summer of 2022 and uses drones equipped with thermal cameras to locate and estimate waterfowl pair and brood densities. Part of the objective is to better understand where waterfowl breeding habitat exists throughout the state. The data will be used to help understand which Wisconsin watersheds to prioritize for conservation action and habitat improvement.	Hannah Sa​bati​​​​e​​r​ ​​ Hannah Sabatier is a graduate student researching nesting behavior and nest survival in upland nesting ducks in the Prairie Pothole Region of Saskatchewan, Canada. Specifically, Hannah is investigating if grassland quality and diversity affect nest survival and how edge effects influence nesting behavior and nest survival. The results of this study will help to inform habitat management practices that maximize land use and support high waterfowl productivity.  ​	Jack Johnson ​​ Jack Johnson started his graduate research in fall of 2024. He is studying the breeding ecology of upland nesting waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region in the Northeast corner of South Dakota.  Specifically, he's examining nest survival, along with brood density/movement across a wide gradient of perennial cover and predation pressure. The results of this study will inform managers of the factors affecting waterfowl populations and guide conservation initiatives.

​Alaska Nesting Goose Population Dynamics Project

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Matt Misewicz is a graduate student in the Sedinger lab studying the effects of density dependence and spring phenology on population dynamics of arctic geese on the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. His project will examine the role density dependence plays on overall nest survival and how varying spring phenology impacts gosling growth. The results of this study will inform managers of the critical drivers of arctic goose populations and how climate change can impact recruitment in long-lived herbivores.​

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Projects and Activities

UW-Stevens Point Student Chapter of Ducks Unlimited

Ben Sedinger serves as faculty advisor for the UW-Stevens Point Student Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. The group was formally established in 2015, and is one of the fastest-growing student organizations on campus. It is one of the most active in the student chapters in the nation. University chapters are playing an increasingly important role in the conservation mission of Ducks Unlimited (DU) which recognizes that a vibrant and strong collegiate program is the key to a healthy future for wetland conservation, and it will continue to place a strong emphasis on the development of what has been a very successful program. Student members get involved for a variety of reasons including: social functions that build community, school pride, conservation education and funding, resume building, networking and volunteer opportunities, leadership development, and national competitions with other university chapters across the country. In 2024, the UW-Stevens Point Student Chapter of Ducks Unlimited earned the "Gold All-American Award" the highest honor a chapter can receive and they were ranked as one of the top 10 chapters in the nation due to the amount of conservation funding they have raised. 

The Wildlife Society Wood Duck Project

Ben Sedinger is the faculty advisor for the UW-Stevens Point Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society's Wood Duck Project. The purpose of the project is to check the use and success of waterfowl nesting in boxes at the George W. Mead Wildlife Area and on the Green Circle Trail in Stevens Point, WI. Their research takes place in the winter months of January and February. A typical day for the project includes checking wood duck box conditions, replacing bedding, and recording data on the status of the box (used, successful, etc...). The project's student leaders present their findings at the Jim and Katie Krause CNR Student Research Symposium each year. ​

Waterfowl Ecology Field Trips

A major component of the​ Waterfowl Ecology course (Wildlife 361/561) involves multiple experiential field trips to various wetlands around the state. Sedinger takes students to the Mead Wildlife Area (WDNR), the Mississippi River, Goose Pond (managed by the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance), Shoenberg Marsh Wetland Production Area (USFWS), Lost Creek Wetland (DOT Restoration Area), and local community parks where they interact with state, federal, and NGO biologists and land managers to learn about habitat and wildlife management.   Using Light to Locate: Geolocation of Wisconsin​ Wood Ducks ​Many waterfowl hunters have had the good fortune to harvest a bird with a band on its leg. Birds are banded and tracked for many reasons. Sedinger's former graduate student Andrew Greenawalt (graduated 2023) banded wood ducks (Aix sponsa) and fitting them with special light-detecting geolocator tags for his graduate research. He needs the help of hunters to report any harvested banded birds for the success of this unique project. If you have harvested a banded bird, report it to the United States Geological Service(USGS) Bird Banding Lab, and click the image to the left for more information!​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​​

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Past Kennedy-Grohne Chair Projects:

Jacob Straub, Ph.D.,  was the Kennedy-Grohne Chair in Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation from 2015-2018 and lead a variety of projects. Click the images below to learn more about the projects that occurred during his time at UWSP.

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