Group at CSC lives week of wildlife
From the minnows swimming the upper Niobrara River to the birds flying above Chadron’s Briggs Pond, a group at Chadron State College spent a week studying the wildlife in June.
The first Nebraska Wildlife Shortcourse at CSC exposed 17 participants to an abundance of information about the region’s animals through classroom instruction and field trips.
Dr. Teresa Zimmerman, the CSC faculty member who organized the course, said she was pleased that the class attracted students with a wide range of backgrounds, including wildlife professionals, students, educators and people who just wanted to learn more about the region’s fauna. She plans to offer the course every two years.
Each day of the five-day course featured a different aspect of wildlife, including birds, mammals, fish, herpetofauna, habitat and humans’ role in their existence.
The mornings were spent in the classroom with presentations from local and regional wildlife professionals that delved into the varied characteristics of the region’s animals and the state of their habitat. The presenters discussed historical and current threats to wildlife populations, as well as conservation success stories.
The group got a first-hand look of the region’s wildlife populations and habitat during afternoon field trips. They included trips to Fort Robinson State Park to observe bighorn sheep and South Dakota’s Wind Cave National Park to learn about its efforts in preserving its wildlife, including black-footed ferrets, elk, bison, prairie dogs and tiger salamanders. Another stop was made at Bordeaux Creek Wildlife Management Area to discuss habitat improvement projects on the property.
While at Wind Cave National Park, the group observed the skeletal remains of an elk cow that had been killed by a mountain lion. Park officials investigated the site after immediately becoming aware of the radio-collared animal’s death about three weeks prior to the CSC group’s visit.
Group members also got wet while sampling minnows with seines in the upper Niobrara River of Sioux County, and sought “herps” on a nearby pasture.
“We were very fortunate to have such a great group of speakers come to Chadron,” Zimmerman said. “The students were exposed to a lot of great information, and it reinforced their interest in studying wildlife.”
In addition to Zimmerman, Chadron State was represented with presentations by Chuck Butterfield and Lucinda Mays.The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission was represented by Todd Nordeen, Greg Schenbeck, Matt Steffl, Shelley Stoley and Bill Vodehnal.
Other speakers were Doug Albertson of The Nature Conservancy, Laurel Badura of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Josh Smith of South Dakota State University, George Cunningham of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Dan Fogell of Southeast Community College, Mel Nenneman of the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Andrew Pierson of the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Greg Schroeder of the National Park Service and Josh Smith of South Dakota State University.
Category: Campus News