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Graduate Students

Waterfowl Productivity  Project​​	Waterfowl Production   ​​ Project	Emperor Goose Movement Ecology Project
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.  ​	Mair​​​​​in Murp​​​​​hy​ Mairin Murphy is a graduate student studying the post-hatch movement ecology of Emperor Geese on the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Her project is the first to use a GPS backpack transmitter on an Emperor Goose and aims to collect fine-scale data on gosling movements throughout the Yukon Delta, providing insight on foraging behavior, resource use and juvenile recruitment of this unique Arctic species.

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Projects and Activities

UWSP Student Chapter of Ducks Unlimited

Ben Sedinger serves as faculty advosor for the UW-Stevens Point Student Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. The group is relatively new, formally established in 2015, but is one of the fastest growing student organizations on campus. It is already among the most active in the nation. University chapters are playing an increaingly important role in the conservation mission of Ducks Unlimited (DU). DU 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, resume building, networking and volunteer opportunities, leadership development, and national competitions with other university chapters across the country. The UW-Stevens Point Student Chapter of Ducks Unlimited earned the "Top University Chapter Award" at the DU Wisconsin State Convention in the fall of 2019.

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. 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 has presented their research, "Selection of Nest Boxes by Cavity Nesting Waterfowl Based on Diameter at Breast Height in Mead Wildlife Area," at the Jim and Kaite Krause CNR Student Research Symposium in April 2020.​

Mississippi River Field Trip

A highlight from the Waterfowl Ecology course (Wildlife 361/561) was our trip to the Mississippi River during the peak of fall migration. On Saturday, November 16th 2019, we made our way towards Necedah National Wildlife Refuge where we stopped to observe a few hundred sandhill cranes feeding in a recently cut corn field. We then headed for the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center in La Crosse, WI, where we had a tour of the research facilities, including a huge area for fish culture. Students also learned about employment with the Federal government.      After the tour and a hearty parking-lot-lunch of elk chili, USGS biologist Luke Fara took us on a tour of Pool 8 on the Mississippi River. We viewed several huge habitat improvement projects and counted 12 different waterfowl species, including a banded mallard perched on a log, tundra and trumpeter swans, and some Canada geese. The canvasback migration was especially exciting -- while we missed the peak, we still saw many thousands rafted up and gorging themselves on wild celery buds in preparation for the rest of their migration and the coming winter. We also watched a big group of ring-necked ducks feeding near a large be of wild celery. Before driving back to Point, we stopped by the Upper Mississippi River NWR office in Onalaska, WI to hear about how the river has changed through time and how the USFWS manages the refuge for wildlife. - Ben Sedinger

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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, and Andrew Greenawalt is banding 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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Other 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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