The Purdue student chapter of The Wildlife Society was named as the North Central Region’s Student
Chapter of the Year for 2024.
The honor, which recognizes an exemplary student chapter for its contributions to The Wildlife Society’s mission and goals, was accepted by current Purdue TWS president Celia Parton at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in St. Louis.
“I am very excited that the Purdue Student Chapter of TWS has been recognized this year for their hard work providing professional development, training, and social events for students,” said 2024 club advisor Dr. Elizabeth Flaherty. “This work included the enormous task of reviving the North Central Section Student Conclave event, which they planned and hosted here near campus.”
At the North Central Section Conclave, 45 students from five chapters across the Midwest came to Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana, to enjoy guest speakers, hand-on workshops and friendly competitions.
In 2023-24, Purdue TWS hosted nearly 20 events, including trips to Wolf Park and Cook County Forest Preserve. Students also had the chance to participate a bird walk, a shed antler hike, a demonstration from a falconer, invasive species removal events, a survival skills workshop and several education and outreach events.
The trip to Wolf Park allowed students to see all the wildlife in the park and also set up trail cameras for a camera trapping project. The excursion to Cook County Forest Preserve in Illinois gave students a chance to capture owls, deer and coyotes, complete a necropsy, make snares and learn about various capture methods.
The chapter honor follows the Feb. 2024 selection of then-president Alex Dudley for the TWS Outstanding Wildlife Undergraduate Student Award.
“I am very grateful that we were awarded for our dedication to our club this past year,” Parton said. “This means a lot to us all especially since it will provide the club with the prospect of giving more students opportunities to attend conferences and go to the Student Conclave this year. It also allows us to be recognized on the regional level for all of the hard work that both the past president, Alex Dudley, and I have put into this club.”
Other happenings at the Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference
Emma Johnson (BS Wildlife 2024) was elected as the graduate student representative for the TWS North Central Section.
Junior aquatic sciences major Mallory Wagner presented her research on “Abundance and Growth Rates of Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) from Lake Michigan and Connected Tributary Habitats”
