ÐßÐßÂþ» students were honored at the Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s annual conference held in Duluth, Minn. at the end of February.<\/p>\n
Joey Riley, a biology graduate student from Minneapolis, Minn., received the 2018 Student Conservationist Award. The award is presented to a Minnesota student studying wildlife activity who has shown high scholastic achievement and promise as a future wildlife professional.<\/p>\n
Riley received this award for his high commitment to the wildlife community. Throughout his time at BSU, he has been an active member of The Wildlife Society and the Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society at Bemidji State. His professional goal is to build bridges between people and natural resources to aid the conservation of wildlife.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Rave, professor of biology, believes Riley is on the right track to achieve this goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven his exemplary work ethic, I have no doubt that he will succeed in this goal and excel in the wildlife profession,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Riley earned his Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology with a GIS minor at Bemidji State. He is now continuing his education at BSU as a graduate student, studying the distribution and habitat of woodland jumping mice in northern Minnesota.<\/p>\n
In addition, BSU students Mattie Osborn, a senior majoring in wildlife biology from Bemidji, Minn. and Nikki Shaw, a senior majoring in aquatic biology from Embarrass, Minn. were also awarded Best Undergraduate Student poster at the conference, with their poster \u201cWater Uptake Capabilities of Sphagnum Moss.\u201d The poster compared two species of sphagnum moss, their individual water uptake capabilities and how the species with the higher capability of uptake may be more beneficial to use in wetland restoration efforts.<\/p>\n
Members of BSU student chapter of The Wildlife Society who attended the conference include<\/p>\n