"Celebrating Citizen Science" will be the theme for the 2017 Wisconsin Society for Ornithology convention in Carter, Wis., with a focus on the opportunities for wider individual participation.

In ornithology, perhaps more than in any other scientific discipline, citizens make incredible contributions. There simply would not be as much information about birds available if it were not for the efforts of non-professional birders around the world.

This year, WSO will be celebrating the ornithological accomplishments of citizen scientists in Wisconsin. We will discuss past, present and future efforts with a special emphasis on the Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey. We also will examine the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II and look for ways to get more people involved. We will look at the work being done on Potawatomi tribal lands and also discuss citizen science opportunities available across the state.

The 78th annual WSO convention will be held June 16-19 – over Father's Day weekend -- at the Potawatomi Carter Casino and Hotel. The hotel is within the Nicolet National Forest just south of Wabeno. Online advance registration for the convention continues through May 19 at https://wsobirds.org/annual-convention

WSO's vice president and Conservation Committee chair, Dr. Andy Cassini, will launch the presentations with a discussion of current biological threats to bird conservation and the amazing statewide initiatives to counteract these threats. Cassini is a conservation biologist and educator who earned his doctorate in zoology with an emphasis on conservation biology and ornithology from UW-Madison. He currently is developing an environmental sustainability education pathway for the Kettle Moraine School District.

Samuel Schratz, wildlife biologist with the Forest County Potawatomi Community, will discuss the "Birds on Potawatomi Tribal Lands." Schratz has a great deal of ecological experience, especially with bats, but is excited to be working on several projects aimed at monitoring and conserving avian species.

Dr. Eva Lewandowski, who coordinates the Citizen-based Monitoring Program for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, will discuss ways people can become more involved in monitoring bats, frogs, water quality and more. In addition to her work for the DNR, Lewandowski is active in citizen science at the national and international levels. She has published research on citizen science outcomes, is a member of the Citizen Science Association's communications team, and is president of the Participatory and Citizen Science Working Group for the Society for Conservation Biology. She earned her doctorate in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota.

The Wisconsin Citizen-based Monitoring Network is a collaboration of more than 180 projects and organizations that monitor plants, animals and habitats to better understand and protect them. It is the result of Wisconsin's century-long tradition of groundbreaking citizen science work.
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Tom Prestby and Nick Anich will present "Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II: Preliminary Results and Outlook for the Next 3 Years." They will discuss the work that will be required to complete the Atlas over the next three years and provide ways for more people to get involved.

Anich works as a DNR conservation biologist in Ashland, serves as Atlas coordinator and is one of the Wisconsin eBird Team leaders. He earned his master's degree researching Swainson's Warblers at Arkansas State. He also has been involved with research on Kirtland's Warblers and Wisconsin's resident boreal birds.

Prestby received his master's degree at UW-Green Bay researching shorebirds and continues to work with UW-Green Bay on various research projects. In his work for the Atlas, Prestby coordinates training events, reviews Atlas data and conducts field work. He also serves on WSO's State Records Committee.

The Saturday banquet keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Howe, a professor at UW-Green Bay who has been involved in bird research and conservation in Wisconsin and beyond. Howe will present on "30 Years of the Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey," which concluded in 2016 as the longest running volunteer bird survey in any national forest.

Howe will share results, providing insights on the breeding birds of northern Wisconsin. The project involved over 600 volunteers, produced a list of 187 species and recorded over 650,000 birds.

Much of Howe's work involves bird population ecology, but he has published recent articles on Great Lakes coastal wetlands, environmental indicators, landscape ecology and forest dynamics. As director of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, Howe is co-leader of the Wabikon Forest Dynamics Plot in northern Wisconsin, and administers numerous research grants involving student researchers and collaborators from other institutions.