Department of Environmental and Forest Biology

ANNUAL REPORT: June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009

(i.e., Summer 2008, AY 2008-2009)

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY

SUNY-ESF

NAME:

I. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Regular Course Offerings

Credit No. No. of Lab.

Course No. Title Hrs. Students Sections

SUMMER:

FALL: EFB 482 Ornithology 4 20 2

SPRING: On Sabbatical

2. Non-Scheduled Course Offerings (e.g., 496, 899, 999)

Credit No.

Course No. Title Hrs. Students

EFB 420 Internship 3-5 7

3. Continuing Education and Extension (short courses, workshops, etc.)

4. Guest Lecture Activities

Course No. Title No. of Lectures

II. STUDENT ADVISING

A. Number of undergraduates for whom you are the student’s official advisor 34 and unofficial advisor LOTS

B. Graduate Students: (Name, degree sought, starting date, month & year; if a degree was completed, please give

date and full citation for the thesis or dissertation).

MAJOR PROFESSOR

(1)  Carrie Osborne (MS). Fate of Captive-reared Mallards Released on Long Island.

(completed fall 2008)

(2)  Wendy Baltzersen (PhD). Spatial Influences on Waterbird Distribution in the Venezuelan Llanos

(expected completion December 2009)

(3)  Ian Gereg (MS). Duckling Growth and Development in Selected Species of Waterfowl

(started fall 2007)

CO-MAJOR PROFESSOR

MEMBER, STEERING COMMITTEE (other than those listed above)

Tania Rogers (MS)

CHAIRMAN OR READER ON THESIS EXAMS, ETC.

III. RESEARCH COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY

A. Departmental Research (unsupported, boot-legged; title - % time spent)

Source: New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Title: Origins, Fate, and Movements of Captive-reared Mallards Released in New York Amount: $99,629. Duration: 2006-2009

B. 1. Grant-supported Research (source, subject, amount - total award and current year, award period starting

and ending dates; list graduate research assistants supported by each grant)

2. Research Proposals pending (as in B.1., above)

IV. PUBLICATIONS (Full bibliographic citation, i.e., do not use "with Jones," or "Jones, et al."; please list only

publications published, in press, or actually submitted during this reporting period --- do not list manuscripts in preparation).

A.  Refereed Publications

(1) Abundance and Distribution of Waterbirds in the Llanos of Venezuela.

Submitted to the Wilson Journal of Ornithology

(2) Fate of Captive-reared Mallards released on Long Island, New York.

Submitted to Human-Wildlife Conflicts

B. Non-refereed Publications

C. Papers Presented at Science Meetings (give title, date, occasion, and location)

D. Public Service Presentations (lectures, seminars, etc. to and for the public; give group or occasion, date(s), and

attendance)

V. PUBLIC SERVICE

A. Funded Service (include consulting activities)

1. Government Agencies (Federal, State, Local):

2. Industrial and Commercial Groups, etc.

B. Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc.

VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A. Professional Honors and Awards (for teaching, research, outreach, etc.)

B. 1. Activities in Professional Organizations (offices held, service as chairman, member, participant or consultant)

2. Professional Society Membership

The Wildlife Society

Wilson Ornithological Society

American Ornithologists’ Union

Waterbird Society

Cooper Ornithological Society

3. Other Professional Activities

a. Editorial activity

Journal (s) Responsibility

Other (books, symposia, etc.)

b. Reviewer

Journal(s) No. of manuscripts

Agency No. of proposals

Other

c. Participation (workshops, symposia, etc.)

Name of workshop, etc. Date Place

(1)  AOU workshop on publishing. 85 grad students form around the country. At American Ornithologists Union Annual meeting in Portland in August

C. Further Education/Re-training Undertaken, Leaves, Workshops, etc.

D. Foreign Travel (Where, When, Purpose)

VII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES (include committee participation)

A. Department-level

Coordinator of wildlife undergrad curriculum, which included development of assessment plan in 2008-09.

(1) Freshman seminar

(2) 10/25 Saturday Open House

(3) 28 March ASR reception

(4)  18 April ASR reception

(5) many meetings and phone calls with prospective EFB students

B. College-level

(1)  Freshman orientation on Sat, 6 Sept

(2) 10/6 tech writing seminar for CSTEP workshop

(3) Learning Community Retreat. 6 September in Marcellus

C. University-wide, including Research Foundation

VIII. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST NOTEWORTHY AND RELATIVE TO THE COLLEGE’S AND DEPARTMENT’S MISSION. One paragraph on each of the following would be most helpful: this past year, what have you done for our students, department/college, and self professionally? NOTE: The information in this section (along with the supporting specific information elsewhere in this report) should be your strongest case for being considered for a discretionary raise, which I’ll continue to award based on your contributions to the department and college this reporting period.

Students: As coordinator of the wildlife curriculum (now the 2nd largest undergrad enrollment on campus). I spend tremendous time with students in addition to those who are my advisees. Additionally, I spend significant time with prospective parents and students visiting campus and requesting a meeting with a faculty member in wildlife science.

I’m accessible and students know that, and that’s fine. In 2008-09, considerable time was spent coordinating the developing of an assessment plan and more time will be needed to implement same.

Department/College: The coordinator position generates duties associated with Open Houses, ASRs, etc.

I have never refused any additional departmental assignments

Professional: In last year’s annual report I wrote, “It was nice to receive that Ducks Unlimited Award. Now I have to think what last big thing I might want to do before retirement.” Now I have that task. In spring 2009 I accepted an offer from the Wildlife Management Institute to author the 4th edition of “Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America.”

This book is the global source of such information and will represent a pinnacle achievement—the third edition sold over 250,000 copies worldwide.

IX. A. FUTURE PLANS, AMBITIONS, AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR YOUR OWN

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN

ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY (brief summary)

Authorship of “Ducks, Geese and Swans” will occupy most all my focused efforts in addition to that spent on very selected graduate projects and the two boards I serve on: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy

B. PROJECTED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT YEAR

1. Summer 2009

a. Course(s) to be offered

b. Proposed research activity

New book and grad projects

c. University, professional society, and public service

2. Fall Semester 2009

a.  Course(s) to be offered

EFB 482 Ornithology

b. Proposed research activity

c. University, Professional society, and public service

3. Spring Semester 2010

a.  Course(s) to be offered

EFB 390 Intro to Wildlife Management

b. Proposed research activity

c. University, professional society, and public service