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Monthly Program – Kendeigh Grant Research Symposium

Join us on Zoom to learn about the exciting and important conservation research conducted by our Kendeigh Grant Recipients from 2021!
Meeting ID: 819 6729 4472
Password: CCAS

Overview:

Two of our 2021 awardees will each give a short talk about their research and how they used their grants from the generous donations of our CCAS members to the Kendeigh Research Grants fund.

Factors Contributing to the Widespread Decline of Eastern Meadowlarks

Presentation: Julie Bozzo will be presenting data on how Illinois landcover has changed over the last 20 years and whether there is a relationship between those changes and Eastern Meadowlark abundance. Julie will also provide an overview of the migration portion of this project where her team captured and attached transmitters to breeding meadowlarks.

Biography: Julie Bozzo is a master’s student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is in the second year of her research project studying Eastern Meadowlark migration and land use in Illinois. Julie earned a bachelor’s in wildlife and conservation biology from the University of Rhode Island in 2017 and began working as a field technician after graduating. She has worked on a variety of projects studying pheasants, Bobwhite Quail, Clapper Rails, and Piping Plovers. Julie is currently awaiting the start of her second field season and looks forward to learning about Eastern Meadowlarks.

Post-Fledging Survival and Habitat Use of the Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) in Illinois

Presentation: Post-fledging survival and habitat use is largely understudied and underutilized to inform habitat management decisions despite this critical stage posing the greatest mortality risk in many opennesting species. The Least Bittern is a state-threatened and largely understudied marsh bird, and this study aimed to understand their post-fledging habitat use following wetland management and how these decisions impact their mortality.

Biography: Stephanie Schmidt is a master’s student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in zoology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2018 and is currently employed as the Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator for the International Crane Foundation.

About Our Monthly Programs:

Guest speakers present on a variety of topics throughout the year. Programs were historically held at the Urbana Free Library auditorium and are currently held online via Zoom (no programs in January, June, July, or August).

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April 3

4th Annual Mudpuppy Festival

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April 10

Sunday Morning Bird Walk