Research Specialist – Wildlife Ecology

Conduct field work, including decoy-trapping for a study of nesting waterfowl on private lands in southern Wisconsin. Assist with research evaluating the effects of removing wooded fencerows on grassland birds and their predators in southwest Wisconsin; this includes monitoring of snakes and other mammalian and avian nest predators; bird surveys, and vegetation sampling. Conduct breeding surveys of grassland birds, pheasants, ducks, roadside habitats, and vegetation for a research project evaluating the effects of landscape-scale habitat management on grassland birds in the Glacial Habitat Restoration Area (GHRA) in east-central Wisconsin. Coordinate all fieldwork and supervise/train seasonal field staff for grassland bird and pheasant surveys. Work cooperatively with landowners and wildlife management personnel. Develop spatial databases on grassland bird, predator, and duck research; digitize, edit and process habitat and wildlife surveys data in Geographic Information System (GIS) using Arc/Info Software on a UNIX workstation. Produce graphics and analyze spatial data using GIS software. Develop and manage tabular databases and perform summary analyses using SAS software. Assist in report writing. Assist wildlife researchers with other research studies as needed.