South Dakota Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) biologist Steve Spawn recently headed to the field, not to meet with a private landowner, but to provide hands-on wetland restoration training to habitat technicians and a group of Student Conservation Association interns working for the Madison Wetland Management District in Madison, SD.
During the field day, Steve introduced the group to the important role PFW biologists play in supporting conservation easements and restoring wetland habitat on private land. The crew learned how to set up and use surveying equipment, evaluate wetland depths, identify plants, assess wetland drainage, and determine when and how a wetland restoration project may be feasible.
More importantly, the day provided an opportunity to learn how experienced biologists apply science, field observations, and practical judgment to real-world conservation challenges.
For Steve, sharing that knowledge is just one of the many responsibilities of a PFW biologist. In addition to working directly with private landowners to restore and enhance wetlands and grasslands, PFW biologists regularly collaborate with the Small Wetlands Acquisition Program and Wetland Management District staff, conservation partners, interns, and early-career employees.
Those relationships help build conservation capacity well beyond an individual project. By taking the time to teach the techniques, thought processes, and lessons learned from years of field experience, experienced biologists like Steve are helping to prepare the next generation of conservation professionals to continue restoring and managing the wetlands and grasslands of the Prairie Pothole Region.
Sometimes the best classroom is simply outdoors, in a wetland, with a survey level and an experienced biologist willing to share what they know.
Photo Credits: Liz Julian/USFWS