Sociedad Audubon del Metro de Wisconsin

Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society (WMAS) is a chapter of the National Audubon Society that encourages environmental stewardship through education and conservation. WMAS collaborates with Wehr to offer birding opportunities such as the Christmas Bird Count, The Big Sit, and leads the weekly Wehr Birders group. Public programs are typically held on the third Wednesday, February to April and September to November from 7-9 pm. Please visit their website at the link below for specific details.

This month’s topic:

MOTUS is supporting Bird Migration Research in Wisconsin with Jacob Wolff

Jacob Wolff is a researcher with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory (LMBO) to help expand the Motus network in Wisconsin.

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a collaborative research effort that uses small radio tags and receiving stations to detect animals (primarily birds) as they move across the landscape. Unlike GPS transmitters that give precise location data, Motus tags emit a radio signal that can only be detected within a short distance (~9 miles) of a Motus tower. Many organisms that carry Motus tags are not large enough for a GPS transmitter; Motus tags are also significantly less expensive than GPS transmitters. Motus towers must be strategically placed. Jacob and LMBO received a large grant to construct 16 Motus stations along the western shore of Lake Michigan and also is working on a buildout of stations. Jacob graduated from UW-Green Bay in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in animal biology and in 2022 with a master’s degree in environmental science and policy.