The Great Plains Natural Science Society

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Inside this issue: President s Message 2 Potential New Council Member 3 Member Profiles 4-5 Honness Fall Fundraiser 6

1 The Great Plains Natural Science Society 15 NOVEMBER 2011 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 Students and faculty enjoying burgers and brats at the Fall Honness Fundraiser. Story on page 6. Inside this issue: President s Message 2 Potential New Council Member 3 Member Profiles 4-5 Honness Fall Fundraiser 6 Announcements 7-9 Department Updates 10 Recipes From the Field Society 14 GPNSS Membership Information SDSU students participating in chemical immobilization training. Story on page 10. 1

GPNSS President s Note Greetings! I have been serving the GPNSS membership since 2009 and recently took over the position of President of the Society.

2 GPNSS President s Note Greetings! I have been serving the GPNSS membership since 2009 and recently took over the position of President of the Society. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Chad Lehman for his dedicated years of service as President of the society. I believe that his leadership and the commitment of the board and editorial staff, have chartered new waters for the Society. I would also like to welcome our new board members, Dr. Keith Geluso and Dr. Rick Baydack. Dr. Geluso is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he has been on faculty since Prior to his current position, he was a wildlife biologist with the USGS in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and worked on various mammal-related projects from Montana to New Mexico. Dr. Baydack is currently a Professor in the Department of Environment and Geography in the new Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources at the University of Manitoba. He has been on faculty with the institution since 1979 and during this tenure served the University in the capacity of Graduate Chair, Department Head, and Associate Dean. On behalf of the society, I would like to thank those who have served and are currently serving the Great Plains Natural Science Society. Have a great and safe winter! Respectfully, Dr. Teresa J. Zimmerman Assistant Professor Department of Applied Sciences Chadron State College Chadron, NE 2

3 CANDIDATE FOR GPNSS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL The following is a candidate to fill the vacancy of President-elect on The Great Plains Natural Science Society Executive Council. We would ask that GPNSS members their vote (yes or no) to prairie.naturalist@sdstate.edu. Jayne Jonas Restoration Ecology Lab Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Colorado State University 1472 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO My professional endeavors over the past 15 years have focused on plant and insect communities in Great Plains grasslands. I have been primarily involved in research and management of tall- and mixed-grass grasslands of the northern and central Great Plains, and to a lesser extent shortgrass steppe. The majority of my work has centered on understanding how fire and grazing management, as well as climate, drive plant and insect communities and the interactions between them. I received a B.S. in Life Sciences at Wayne State College (Wayne, NE), a M.S. in Entomology and a Ph.D. in Biology both from Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS). I spent three years between my M.S. and Ph.D. programs working as a land steward and scientist for The Nature Conservancy in western Nebraska. Following completion of my doctoral program, I looked at the impacts of fire, grazing, and climate on plant species richness and diversity in Great Plains grasslands with the U.S. Geological Survey. Since then, I have been a postdoctoral fellow in the restoration ecology lab at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO) where I am working on a variety of projects in the shortgrass steppe of eastern Colorado and the sagebrush steppe of western Colorado. GPNSS members, please vote now at Prairie.Naturalist@sdstate.edu. Voting closes on 20 December

4 Member Profile: Great Plains Natural Science Society Name: Mark G. Ruder Institution: Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS), University of Georgia Title: Wildlife Disease Diagnostician & Graduate Assistant Academic Background: PhD, Veterinary Pathology University of Georgia (expected graduation 2012) DVM Kansas State University (2007) Studies in Organismal Biology University of Kansas (2003) Current Research/Project: My dissertation research is on hemorrhagic disease, a significant vector-borne viral disease of white-tailed deer. Specifically, my project examines the susceptibility of ruminant and vector hosts to epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses (EHDV) that have either recently emerged in the US (EHDV serotype 6), or are considered exotic to North America (EHDV serotype 7). I am extremely grateful for my time at SCWDS and the University of Georgia, where I m fortunate to learn from leaders in the field of wildlife diseases. Research Interests: Infectious and non-infectious diseases of free-ranging wildlife, and their implications for wildlife populations, as well as domestic animal and human health. Fondest memory conducting research in the Great Plains: Most of my professional and academic experience with the Great Plains has been the diagnostic investigation of wildlife mortality events during my time at SCWDS. Although enjoyable, this type of work largely confines me to a necropsy lab. However, while a member of the KSU Student Chapter of TWS, I was fortunate to get involved with a project monitoring the density of white-tailed deer on Konza Prairie in the Flint Hills of Kansas. This project took me out onto the rolling hills of tallgrass prairie before sunrise to look for white-tailed deer. For a guy spending the majority of the day at a desk studying to become a veterinarian, those early mornings watching the sun rise over the frozen tallgrass prairie were truly refreshing and grounding. I hope to migrate back to the Great Plains after graduate school and create many new memories. Personal interests and hobbies: Although I enjoy anything that gets me outside, I most of all enjoy hiking and fishing with my two kids, and using those experiences to help them understand, enjoy, and respect nature. I m also a rabid Kansas Jayhawks basketball fan. 4

5 Member Profile: Great Plains Natural Science Society Name: Matthew Shappell Institution: Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Title: Conservation Programs Biologist Academic Background: B.S. Animal Ecology (Wildlife Emphasis), Iowa State University Current Conservation Projects: Currently I work with landowners and producers, helping them with Farm Bill programs. I work mostly with the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). I work in four county offices in southern central North Dakota. I work cooperatively with staff from Ducks Unlimited, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and North Dakota Game & Fish. I spend a lot of time working in the field assessing wetland and upland conditions on private land. I m also responsible for developing conservation plans for lands enrolled in Farm Bill programs. It is very rewarding to work with others that share a passion for the prairies. Research Interests: Waterfowl Nesting Ecology and Waterfowl Population Dynamics. I want to be able to use scientific data to best conserve diminishing grassland habitat on the prairie landscape. Fondest memory conducting research in the Great Plains: I don t think I have one specific memory. I have a collection of memories while searching for duck nests on native prairie in remote areas. It s always great to revisit a duck nest that has successfully hatched. Observing active Sharp-tailed grouse leks is a lot of fun too. Some of the ground that I nest searched on was adjacent to Piping plover nests. It was great to see them nesting. Maybe the best part about working in the Great Plains is being able to share your knowledge with people from different parts of the country. Personal interests and hobbies: Wildlife photography, hunting, fishing, cycling, curling 5

Memorial Research Scholarship. We served over 40 people at our burgers and dogs grill out and raised over $200 for the scholarship fund.

Special thanks to Alex Solem, Jim Sholly, and Anna Sidie-Slettedahl for their tremendous effort with food prep, setup, cooking, serving, and cleanup.

6 Kevin M. Honness Memorial Research Scholarship Fall Fundraiser We would like to thank all of the people who donated and supported the fall fundraiser for the Kevin M. Honness Memorial Research Scholarship. We served over 40 people at our burgers and dogs grill out and raised over $200 for the scholarship fund. We received food donations from numerous faculty, staff, and students as well as from the local Hy-Vee grocery store. Special thanks to Alex Solem, Jim Sholly, and Anna Sidie-Slettedahl for their tremendous effort with food prep, setup, cooking, serving, and cleanup. Additional thanks go out to all of the individuals from Department of Natural Resource Management at South Dakota State University who assisted with the event. Keep your eyes open for information on our spring fundraising event! Above: GPNSS Outreach Coordinator Josh White serves students and faculty burgers and brats. Left: Graduate student Justin Vandehay gives his approval. 6

7 MEETING/ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCMENTS Colorado Chapter of the Wildlife Society The 2012 annual meeting, themed State of the State, will be held at Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction, CO February th, CWS is now accepting applications for the annual travel grant to help with costs associated with attending a conference or training. For more information on this please Noe Marymor; noe.marymor@co.usda.gov by December 1, Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society The 2012 annual meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society will be held March at the Snow King Resort, Jackson, WY. Please see for further meeting details. Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society The 50 th annual conference of Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society will be held in Great Falls, Montana, February 27-March The conference is entitled 50 years of Partnerships: What have learned and where we are headed. The annual conference will be cohosted by the Northwest Section of The Wildlife Society. The deadline for abstract submission is December 23, Please submit your abstracts to: Shawn Cleveland 2011 Conference Chair The Nature Conservancy Matador Ranch and Grassbank 4883 Ranch Road Dodson, MT MTTWS.preselect@gmail.com Nebraska Chapter of the Wildlife Society 2012 elections are now in progress for The Nebraska Chapter of The Wildlife Society; voting ends December 5, Please see for more information. North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society The joint annual meeting of the ND Chapter of the Wildlife Society and the MN Chapter of the Wildlife Society will be held February 7-9 th, 2012 at the Doublewood Inn, Fargo, ND. This year s meeting is entitled Learning in Crisis: Opportunities for Ecological Renaissance. Abstract and poster submissions are currently being accepted. For more information please see 7

8 South Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society The SDTWS annual meeting will be held February 27-29, 2012 at Cedar Shore Resort. More information will be available soon at Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society The 2012 annual meeting will be held February at the Radisson at Fossil Creek in Fort Worth, TX. The theme for this year s meeting is The North American Model, is it still relevant? Abstracts for the 48 th annual meeting of the TCTWS, a joint meeting between TCTWS and the Southwest Section of the TWS, should be submitted via the abstract submission website, Deadline for receipt of abstracts is 30 November Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society The 2011 annual meeting of the WCTWS will be held December 6-9 at the Teton Science Schools-Jackson Campus. Lodging information and meeting details are available at Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society The 2012 annual meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society will be held March at the Snow King Resort, Jackson, WY. Please see for further meeting details. South Dakota Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, USGS The South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, within the Department of Natural Resource management at South Dakota State University is now fully staffed. Recent additions to the unit s staff are: Dr. Josh Stafford joined the South Dakota Coop Unit this spring as our new Assistant Unit Leader Wildlife. Josh is a waterfowl ecologist who, before arriving at the Unit, spent several years with the Illinois Natural History Survey as Director of the Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center. A native of Oregon, Josh graduated from Oregon State University (B.S.) before receiving his M.S. degree at South Dakota State University. He received his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University. Josh brings a strong background in waterfowl ecology to the Unit and is already at work building new relationships in South Dakota. He can be reached at: ; Joshua.Stafford@sdstate.edu Dr. Larry Giglotti joined the South Dakota Coop Unit this fall as our new Assistant Unit Leader Ecologist. Larry is a human-dimensions specialist who, before arriving at the Unit, spent a number of years with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks. A native of Pennsylvania, Larry graduated from Penn State University (B.S.) before receiving his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Michigan State University. Larry brings a strong background in human 8

9 dimensions of wildlife management to the Unit and be reached at: ; Kathryn (Kate) Tvedt joined the Department as our new Unit Administrative Specialist in May Kate comes to us with a background in book keeping/office management and prior to that served as an English teacher and volleyball coach in the public school system. Kate enjoys working in a bustling, academic environment and lives with her family on a farm near Brookings. Kate can be reached at: or by at Kathryn.Tvedt@sdstate.edu For more information, please visit Dr. Robert W. Klaver, of the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, USGS, and adjunct professor to Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, has recently accepted the position of Unit Leader at the Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Iowa State University. Dr. Klaver will begin his duties there in January of For more information on the Iowa Coop Unit, please visit 9

DEPARTMENT UPDATES Update: Department of Natural Resource Management at South Dakota State University Dr.

Kevin Monteith (Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit at the University of Wyoming), and SDSU graduate students Joshua White and Kyle

and nutritional work-up of white-tailed deer at the SDSU Wildlife Research Facility.

10 DEPARTMENT UPDATES Update: Department of Natural Resource Management at South Dakota State University Dr. Troy Grovenburg (SDSU), Dr. Kevin Monteith (Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit at the University of Wyoming), and SDSU graduate students Joshua White and Kyle Monteith instructed students from WL411 Principles of Wildlife Management and WL425/525 Wildlife Nutrition and Disease on wildlife chemical immobilization. Instruction included several hours of in-class lecture, hands on experience with equipment, and participation in immobilization and nutritional work-up of white-tailed deer at the SDSU Wildlife Research Facility. Nutritional work-ups included morphometric measurements, collection of blood samples, body fat measurements using a portable ultrasound, and proper monitoring of temperature, pulse, and respiration. Clockwise from top left: students getting instruction on using a portable ultrasound, handson experience using dart rifles and pistols, processing of morphometric measurements, and collection of blood samples. 10

11 Recipes from the Field: Natural resource professionals possess skills on how to assess the fish assemblage of a prairie lake in South Dakota or to determine population dynamics of mountain lions in the Black Hills, but they often also possess exemplary culinary skills. More often than not folks that are employed in the profession are also hunters, fisherman, gatherers, and outdoorsmen, if not a combination of 1 or more. Because they spend so much time afield pursuing their passions, the result is culinary genius. Often times some of the best meals I ve had have been concocted in a duck blind, wall tent, or off the tail gate of a pick-up truck outside of a hotel. Folks who consume wild game are geniuses, and with proper care and handling of food items from the field, often create some of the most delicious meals which would easily stand up to any $30.00 plate at a gourmet restaurant. We will be featuring 2 recipes submitted from our members for each newsletter. We look forward to presenting more recipes in the future and will gladly be accepting any submissions. Enjoy! Elk with Peppers Modified from: Ingredients: 1-1/2 pound elk meat, Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce 3 Tablespoons Sherry 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger 2 cloves Garlic, Minced 1 teaspoon Red Chile Paste (or A Few Dashes Red Chile Oil) 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion Sliced 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced Into Rings 1 Tablespoon Diced Fresh Jalapeno (or 1 Teaspoon Dice Hot Pepper) Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling Cilantro Leaves Preparation Instructions Mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili paste (or chili oil.) Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for less than a minute. Remove to a separate plate. 11

Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using.) Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm.

Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove to a separate plate. Repeat with remaining meat until all brown. Reduce heat to low.

Sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off heat. *Update/Note: you can also whip up an extra batch of liquid if you do not want to use the same liquid you use for the meat.

12 Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using.) Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm. Remove to a plate. Return skillet to heat and allow to get hot. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove to a separate plate. Repeat with remaining meat until all brown. Reduce heat to low. Add all meat, onions, and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine. Pour in remaining sauce (the sauce the meat marinated in*) and stir. Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes. Sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off heat. *Update/Note: you can also whip up an extra batch of liquid if you do not want to use the same liquid you use for the meat. Turn off boiling water, then throw in noodles. Stir, then allow noodles to sit in hot water for 8 minutes or so (check package directions to be sure.) Drain, then add 1/2 the noodles to stir fry. Toss together, then add more noodles to taste. Add very hot water if needed to thin. Top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately. Submit your recipes (including photos) to Josh White at Prairie.Naturalist@sdstate.edu for inclusion in our next newsletter! 12

Pheasant and Wild Rice Soup Recipe modified Biermann family recipe, Hamburg, Minnesota Ingredients: ½ cup pheasant breast diced ½ cup smoked ham hock diced 1 ½ cups cream, half and half, or whole

13 Pheasant and Wild Rice Soup Recipe modified Biermann family recipe, Hamburg, Minnesota Ingredients: ½ cup pheasant breast diced ½ cup smoked ham hock diced 1 ½ cups cream, half and half, or whole milk ¼ cup slivered almonds ½ cup wild rice ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped celery ¼ cup sliced mushrooms ½ cup chopped carrots ¼ cup butter ½ cup flour 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 4 garlic cloves Preparation Instructions Cook rice first in water for 15 minutes, drain and rinse. Than cook rice in chicken broth until done. In a separate pan sauté pheasant in 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil until browned. In another pan, sauté vegetables until soft, stir in flour. Slowly add vegetable mixture to rice and broth, add ham and pheasant: simmer 45 minutes. Add cream or milk, heat. Add almonds. Enjoy! 13

14 Great Plains Natural Science Society Executive Council President Dr. Teresa Zimmerman Department of Applied Sciences Chadron State College 1000 Main Street Chadron, NE Past President Dr. Chad Lehman Custer State Park US HWY 16A Custer, SD Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Jonathan Jenks Department of Natural Resource Management Box 2140B, SNP 138 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD Council Member Dr. Keith Geluso Department of Biology 905 West 25 th Street University of Nebraska Kearney Kearney, NE Council Member Dr. Rick Baydack Department of Environment and Geography 220 Sinnott Building 70A Dysart Road University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canda Editorial Staff Editor Dr. Christopher Jacques Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 2801 Progress Road Madison, WI Assistant Editor Dr. Troy Grovenburg Department of Natural Resource Management Box 2140B, SNP 138 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD Outreach Coordinator Joshua White Department of Natural Resource Management Box 2140B, SNP 138 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD Send Your News To: Great Plains Natural Science Society Attn: Joshua White Department of Natural Resource Management Box 2140B, SNP 138 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD Your suggestions on topics/news items are welcome. 14

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4-H Project Deadlines

February & March 2017 Newsletter 4-H Project Deadlines May 15th: Exhibit Hall 4-H Project Enrollment Deadline April 1st: Livestock Enrollment Deadline Indiana 4-H Mission: The Indiana 4-H Youth Development