April 2008

TOPIC:  The Impact of Light Goose Overabundance on Breeding Canada Geese near Churchill, Manitoba and DNR’s Pheasant Stocking Program

SPEAKER:  Bob Nack

WHEN:  Tuesday, April 15

TIME:  7:00 pm Refreshments
TIME:  7:30 pm Program

WHERE:  Auditorium
UW Arboretum

PARKING:  Free parking at the Arboretum

PRE-MEETING DINNER:  You are invited to join Madison Audubon board members and friends at the pre-program dinner with our speaker beginning at 5:15.

Paisan's 131 West Wilson Street

QUESTIONS?:  Please call the MAS office at (608)255-2473.

We know there have been substantial changes the artic over recent decades. But how does that affect birds? Since the early 1980s, high numbers of light geese (snow and Ross's geese) have had a significant negative impact on salt marsh vegetation found in the western Hudson Bay lowlands. Nack will discuss his research on how abundant light geese affect the breeding Canada geese near Churchill, Manitoba. Salt marshes on the study area were once used exclusively by Canada geese from the Eastern Prairie Population during the brood-rearing period. Over browsing and "grubbing" by light geese on salt marsh vegetation in early spring and during the brood-rearing have forced EPP Canada geese to use alternate brood-rearing habitat. Bob will discuss the implications of his findings and share his photos of arctic wildlife.

Bob Nack is currently the director of the State Game Farm at Poynette, and he will also give us some highlights of the operation of the State Game Farm and its pheasant stocking program. The game farm raises about 42,000 pheasant roosters and about 10,000 hens for stocking on public hunting grounds.

Nack is from Howards Grove, WI, and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and wildlife from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, and a master’s degree in wildlife conservation from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the State Game Farm, he was a wildlife specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he worked to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.