This summer, MS student, Christine Fallon, participated in the Directorate Fellowship Program (DFP) with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). She worked with Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Vian, OK; a refuge which primarily manages habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds in the Central Flyway. She analyzed data from a national waterbird monitoring database to determine the habitat structure variables that best promote waterbird use at the refuge. Her results highlight the value in maintaining seasonally variable water depths in managed wetlands to attract diverse waterbird assemblages during peak migration periods. This project will guide future conservation objectives and habitat management strategies to provide diverse wetland habitats for waterbirds at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. Upon completion of her graduate program, Christine will be secured a permanent full-time position with the USFWS. The DFP is an amazing opportunity for students who seek to develop professional skills and relationships that promote the USFWS mission, which is “working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” (Credit for photo below: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge/U.S Fish and Wildlife Service)
