Header Photo Courtesy of Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
Plenary Sessions Overview
PLENARY SESSION I & AWARDS - Changing Landscape
Monday, February 13, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:05 AM
PLENARY SESSION 2 & AWARDS - Changing People
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:05 AM
PLENARY SESSION 3 & AWARDS - Changing Focus
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Monday, February 13, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:05 AM
PLENARY SESSION 2 & AWARDS - Changing People
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:05 AM
PLENARY SESSION 3 & AWARDS - Changing Focus
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
PLENARY SESSION I & AWARDS
Monday, February 13, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:05 AM
Changing Landscape
- 8:00 AM | Welcome Remarks
- 8:15 AM | The Changing Reservoir Landscapes: Aging, Climate, and Invasions
- Steve Miranda, Mississippi Coop Fish & Wildlife Unit; USGS
- 9:00 AM | The Effects of Reintroducing Bison to a Tallgrass Prairie: Resilience, Biodiversity, and Herd Viability
- Zak Ratajczak, Assistant Professor, Grassland Biology, Division of Biology, Kansas State University
- 9:45 AM | Awards Presentations:
- The Wildlife Society Professional Awards
- North Central Division - American Fisheries Society Awards
- 10:05 AM | Adjourn
Featured Presenters
STEVE MIRANDA
Mississippi Coop Fish & Wildlife Unit; USGS
smiranda@usgs.gov
Steve is Unit Leader and Professor at the Mississippi Coop Fish & Wildlife Unit. He is a fish ecologist with 40 years of experience and has been with USGS since 1986. Steve received a B.S. from Morehead State, M.S. from Auburn, and Ph.D. from Mississippi State. He was a research intern with Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and research biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. His long-standing research interests have been lentic aquatic ecosystems, natural resource conservation and management, fish population and community dynamics, and aquatic habitat management. He teaches Fisheries Science and Management of Impounded River Basins and has directed over 50 M.S. and Ph.D. students. He has held editorial appointments including Coeditor of the North American Journal of Fisheries Management and currently Chief Editor of Frontiers in Freshwater Science. He is a Fellow of the American Fisheries Society.
Mississippi Coop Fish & Wildlife Unit; USGS
smiranda@usgs.gov
Steve is Unit Leader and Professor at the Mississippi Coop Fish & Wildlife Unit. He is a fish ecologist with 40 years of experience and has been with USGS since 1986. Steve received a B.S. from Morehead State, M.S. from Auburn, and Ph.D. from Mississippi State. He was a research intern with Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and research biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. His long-standing research interests have been lentic aquatic ecosystems, natural resource conservation and management, fish population and community dynamics, and aquatic habitat management. He teaches Fisheries Science and Management of Impounded River Basins and has directed over 50 M.S. and Ph.D. students. He has held editorial appointments including Coeditor of the North American Journal of Fisheries Management and currently Chief Editor of Frontiers in Freshwater Science. He is a Fellow of the American Fisheries Society.
ZAK RATAJCZAK
Assistant Professor, Grassland BiologyDivision of Biology, Kansas State University
zarata@ksu.edu
Zak is an ecologist who works to understand whether there are land management tipping points, where small changes in management cause large environmental shifts. His goal is to understand how land management decisions affect resilience to climate change and his lab uses a variety of approaches, including field experiments/ measurements and remote sensing. Currently his area of research is focused on the impacts of grazing and the impact of shrub expansion on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Assistant Professor, Grassland BiologyDivision of Biology, Kansas State University
zarata@ksu.edu
Zak is an ecologist who works to understand whether there are land management tipping points, where small changes in management cause large environmental shifts. His goal is to understand how land management decisions affect resilience to climate change and his lab uses a variety of approaches, including field experiments/ measurements and remote sensing. Currently his area of research is focused on the impacts of grazing and the impact of shrub expansion on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
PLENARY SESSION 2 & AWARDS
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:05 AM
Changing People
- 8:00 AM | Welcome
- 8:10 AM | Panel Presentation & Moderated Q&A
- The natural resources that have been historically managed for the benefit of hunters and anglers are being increasingly used by additional groups. In this panel discussion, representatives of activities that utilize the same spaces as hunters and anglers will give a background on their activities before allowing the audience to ask questions and discuss how management of natural resources can benefit multiple user groups.
- 9:20 AM | Awards Presentations:
- The Wildlife Society Student Awards
- North Central Division - American Fisheries Society Student Awards
- Janice Lee Fenske Memorial Award
- 10:05 AM | Adjourn
Panelists:
JACKIE AUGUSTINE - The Growing Popularity of Birdwatching
Audubon of Kansas
jackie@audubonofkansas.org
Jackie Augustine joined Audubon of Kansas (AOK) in January 2021 as Executive Director. She received her degree at Kansas State University studying the mating behavior of Greater Prairie-Chickens. As an Associate Professor in Biology at a regional campus of The Ohio State University, she expanded her research to cover both Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens in western Kansas. As Executive Director, Jackie works to support AOK's three-fold mission: 1) working with public officials to advance environmental causes, 2) conserving wild places and managing AOK’s three sanctuaries to demonstrate how people and wildlife can coexist, and 3) providing environmental education opportunities through AOK's two birding festivals and partnering with libraries to offer binoculars to patrons. She is also a birdwatcher devoted to providing native plants around her home.
Audubon of Kansas
jackie@audubonofkansas.org
Jackie Augustine joined Audubon of Kansas (AOK) in January 2021 as Executive Director. She received her degree at Kansas State University studying the mating behavior of Greater Prairie-Chickens. As an Associate Professor in Biology at a regional campus of The Ohio State University, she expanded her research to cover both Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens in western Kansas. As Executive Director, Jackie works to support AOK's three-fold mission: 1) working with public officials to advance environmental causes, 2) conserving wild places and managing AOK’s three sanctuaries to demonstrate how people and wildlife can coexist, and 3) providing environmental education opportunities through AOK's two birding festivals and partnering with libraries to offer binoculars to patrons. She is also a birdwatcher devoted to providing native plants around her home.
DAWN BUEHLER
Kansas Riverkeeper & Executive Director, Friends of the Kaw
riverkeeper@kansasriver.org
Dawn Buehler is the Kansas Riverkeeper and Executive Director with Friends of the Kaw. In her role as the Kansas Riverkeeper, Dawn is a non-governmental public advocate that works to protect and preserve the Kansas River. This is accomplished through holding the community accountable for the health of the river, working to resolve pollution concerns about the river, advocating for the Kansas River and its environs, educating the public, and providing outreach activities to get people involved in the river.
Dawn holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Conservation from Oregon State University and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Baker University. Dawn is the Chair of the Kansas Water Authority and the Governor’s Appointee for the Oil & Gas Advisory Committee. Dawn is also active on the Board of Directors for the Kansas Land Trust and the Board of Directors for Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams.
Kansas Riverkeeper & Executive Director, Friends of the Kaw
riverkeeper@kansasriver.org
Dawn Buehler is the Kansas Riverkeeper and Executive Director with Friends of the Kaw. In her role as the Kansas Riverkeeper, Dawn is a non-governmental public advocate that works to protect and preserve the Kansas River. This is accomplished through holding the community accountable for the health of the river, working to resolve pollution concerns about the river, advocating for the Kansas River and its environs, educating the public, and providing outreach activities to get people involved in the river.
Dawn holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Conservation from Oregon State University and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Baker University. Dawn is the Chair of the Kansas Water Authority and the Governor’s Appointee for the Oil & Gas Advisory Committee. Dawn is also active on the Board of Directors for the Kansas Land Trust and the Board of Directors for Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams.
ROY HARRYMAN
Kansas City Hiker
kcjournalist@gmail.com
Roy Harryman is the publisher of the website Kansas City Hiker (KansasCityHiker.com). It profiles hiking opportunities throughout the Greater Kansas City area, including day trips in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. He has been featured on Kansas City television news and area publications. He's an avid hiker, backpacker and photographer. His day job is managing a marketing agency serving small businesses and nonprofits.
Kansas City Hiker
kcjournalist@gmail.com
Roy Harryman is the publisher of the website Kansas City Hiker (KansasCityHiker.com). It profiles hiking opportunities throughout the Greater Kansas City area, including day trips in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. He has been featured on Kansas City television news and area publications. He's an avid hiker, backpacker and photographer. His day job is managing a marketing agency serving small businesses and nonprofits.
DEXTER R MARDIS (He, Him)
Biological Field Station Manager; Wichita State University
Dexter.Mardis@wichita.edu
Growing up in the Missouri Ozarks, I frequently found myself out in the woods or creeks, exploring nature and trying to catch it all. I hunted a bit but found fishing needlessly tedious, since I found I could discover so much more if I merely wandered the water’s edge as opposed to casting out a rod. When I moved to Kansas over 14 years ago, my interests in outdoor spaces truly accelerated. Since then, my adventures have taken me to the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, the Pisgah mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, the Gulf Coast of Florida, and everywhere in between, including South Africa.
In my job as Biological Field Station Manager for Wichita State University, I focus on whole-community levels of ecological observation. This bleeds into my life as a general naturalist as well. Beyond simply finding animals, fungi, and plants, I thrive on observing their habitat preferences and pondering their lifestyles. I currently serve as Treasurer for the Kansas Herpetological Society and am one of the state's most prolific field herpetologists. KHS has been hosting public field trips on private land around the state for half a century now, surveying almost every county along the way. Because of this, thousands of people from dozens of states have experienced the wild areas of the state, despite Kansas having the least amount of public land of any state in the country. Herpetologically speaking, Kansas is also arguably the most well-documented parcel of land on the planet because of this very outreach.
In addition to my duties listed above, I also sit on the Advisory Board for the Midwest Partners for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and have sat on the Board of Directors of the Great Plains Nature Center. Getting the public out into the ‘wilds’ is a great passion of mine, and I staunchly believe there are many ways outside of hunting and fishing to achieve this goal.
Biological Field Station Manager; Wichita State University
Dexter.Mardis@wichita.edu
Growing up in the Missouri Ozarks, I frequently found myself out in the woods or creeks, exploring nature and trying to catch it all. I hunted a bit but found fishing needlessly tedious, since I found I could discover so much more if I merely wandered the water’s edge as opposed to casting out a rod. When I moved to Kansas over 14 years ago, my interests in outdoor spaces truly accelerated. Since then, my adventures have taken me to the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, the Pisgah mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, the Gulf Coast of Florida, and everywhere in between, including South Africa.
In my job as Biological Field Station Manager for Wichita State University, I focus on whole-community levels of ecological observation. This bleeds into my life as a general naturalist as well. Beyond simply finding animals, fungi, and plants, I thrive on observing their habitat preferences and pondering their lifestyles. I currently serve as Treasurer for the Kansas Herpetological Society and am one of the state's most prolific field herpetologists. KHS has been hosting public field trips on private land around the state for half a century now, surveying almost every county along the way. Because of this, thousands of people from dozens of states have experienced the wild areas of the state, despite Kansas having the least amount of public land of any state in the country. Herpetologically speaking, Kansas is also arguably the most well-documented parcel of land on the planet because of this very outreach.
In addition to my duties listed above, I also sit on the Advisory Board for the Midwest Partners for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and have sat on the Board of Directors of the Great Plains Nature Center. Getting the public out into the ‘wilds’ is a great passion of mine, and I staunchly believe there are many ways outside of hunting and fishing to achieve this goal.
LYNDZEE RHINE - Foraging our Wild Spaces
Outdoor Skills & Recruitment Coordinator, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Lyndzee.Rhine@KS.GOV
Lyndzee grew up in Kansas and has been utilizing its public spaces for foraging and foraying for the better part of 10 years. From gathering, processing, and cultivating edible wild plants to leading foraging and mushroom hikes across the state, she’s a true advocate for the practice. Author of A Pocket Guide to Common Kansas Mushrooms, she shares the outdoors with others whenever possible.
Outdoor Skills & Recruitment Coordinator, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Lyndzee.Rhine@KS.GOV
Lyndzee grew up in Kansas and has been utilizing its public spaces for foraging and foraying for the better part of 10 years. From gathering, processing, and cultivating edible wild plants to leading foraging and mushroom hikes across the state, she’s a true advocate for the practice. Author of A Pocket Guide to Common Kansas Mushrooms, she shares the outdoors with others whenever possible.
DIANA SKINNER - Horses and Hunters: They Can Co-Exist!
dgskinner85@gmail.com
Diana Skinner is the Kansas Director of Back Country Horsemen of America, a nation-wide organization that is committed to protecting the access of equestrians to public lands. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Kansas Trails Council and Volunteer Trails Coordinator for South Shore Trails at Clinton Lake.
dgskinner85@gmail.com
Diana Skinner is the Kansas Director of Back Country Horsemen of America, a nation-wide organization that is committed to protecting the access of equestrians to public lands. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Kansas Trails Council and Volunteer Trails Coordinator for South Shore Trails at Clinton Lake.
PAUL STOCKEBRAND
District Fisheries Biologist, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Paul.Stockebrand@ks.gov
Paul is the Glen Elder District (north central Kansas) Fisheries Biologist with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. He’s an angler, and a native fish enthusiast who grew up hunting and fishing in southeast Kansas before receiving a biology degree from Emporia State University in 2015. Paul spent 3 years with the Indiana DNR as an assistant fisheries biologist before returning to Kansas in May 2022.
District Fisheries Biologist, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Paul.Stockebrand@ks.gov
Paul is the Glen Elder District (north central Kansas) Fisheries Biologist with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. He’s an angler, and a native fish enthusiast who grew up hunting and fishing in southeast Kansas before receiving a biology degree from Emporia State University in 2015. Paul spent 3 years with the Indiana DNR as an assistant fisheries biologist before returning to Kansas in May 2022.
PLENARY SESSION 3 & AWARDS
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Changing Focus
- 8:00 AM | Welcome
- 8:10 AM | Changing Focus in Wildlife Management: Evolution from Consumption to Conservation to Strange New Worlds
- Jackie Augustine, Audubon of Kansas
- 9:00 AM | Changing Focus: Lessons from Living Fossil Fishes
- Solomon David, Nicholls State University
- 10:00 AM | Adjourn
Featured Presenters
JACKIE AUGUSTINE - The Growing Popularity of Birdwatching
Audubon of Kansas
jackie@audubonofkansas.org
Jackie Augustine joined Audubon of Kansas (AOK) in January 2021 as Executive Director. She received her degree at Kansas State University studying the mating behavior of Greater Prairie-Chickens. As an Associate Professor in Biology at a regional campus of The Ohio State University, she expanded her research to cover both Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens in western Kansas. As Executive Director, Jackie works to support AOK's three-fold mission: 1) working with public officials to advance environmental causes, 2) conserving wild places and managing AOK’s three sanctuaries to demonstrate how people and wildlife can coexist, and 3) providing environmental education opportunities through AOK's two birding festivals and partnering with libraries to offer binoculars to patrons. She is also a birdwatcher devoted to providing native plants around her home.
Audubon of Kansas
jackie@audubonofkansas.org
Jackie Augustine joined Audubon of Kansas (AOK) in January 2021 as Executive Director. She received her degree at Kansas State University studying the mating behavior of Greater Prairie-Chickens. As an Associate Professor in Biology at a regional campus of The Ohio State University, she expanded her research to cover both Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens in western Kansas. As Executive Director, Jackie works to support AOK's three-fold mission: 1) working with public officials to advance environmental causes, 2) conserving wild places and managing AOK’s three sanctuaries to demonstrate how people and wildlife can coexist, and 3) providing environmental education opportunities through AOK's two birding festivals and partnering with libraries to offer binoculars to patrons. She is also a birdwatcher devoted to providing native plants around her home.
SOLOMON R. DAVID, PhD (he/him)
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University
solomon.r.david@gmail.com
Dr. Solomon David is an aquatic ecologist and assistant professor of biological sciences interested in fish biodiversity, conservation, and science communication. His current research at Nicholls State University focuses on the ecology of ancient fishes (e.g. gars and bowfins), and how those species can help us better understand and conserve aquatic ecosystems. Additional projects involve conservation of Great Lakes migratory fishes and peripheral populations of species. He also communicates science through traditional and social media to raise awareness of the value of aquatic ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University
solomon.r.david@gmail.com
Dr. Solomon David is an aquatic ecologist and assistant professor of biological sciences interested in fish biodiversity, conservation, and science communication. His current research at Nicholls State University focuses on the ecology of ancient fishes (e.g. gars and bowfins), and how those species can help us better understand and conserve aquatic ecosystems. Additional projects involve conservation of Great Lakes migratory fishes and peripheral populations of species. He also communicates science through traditional and social media to raise awareness of the value of aquatic ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity.