Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Has New Science Coordinator

Grand Island -- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has hired Christopher Jorgensen as the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture’s Science Coordinator to help plan, design, and develop science-based conservation programs in Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin and mixed-grass prairie region. Funding for the position was provided by the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture. Jorgensen is completing a Master of Science degree in Natural Resource Sciences, specializing in Wildlife Ecology, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He begins his work for the University and the Joint Venture on May 14. 

Jorgensen’s responsibilities will include working with RWBJV science staff to develop models and decision support tools that help identify the types and locations of habitats where conservation is most likely to benefit migratory birds and resident wildlife. His office will also monitor and evaluate the success of completed conservation projects, and will work with researchers and scientists from other conservation organizations and agencies to expand knowledge of the region’s conservation needs.

As RWBJV coordinator Andy Bishop explains, scientific and geographic information are the foundation of “strategic habitat conservation,” an approach that focuses on identifying lands most suited to wildlife habitat, while keeping the most productive ground in agriculture production. “We hired Chris because of his diverse background and his working knowledge of geospatial models and statistics,” says Bishop, “but he also brings a wealth of knowledge about wetlands, waterfowl, and other birds – all of which will contribute greatly to our conservation initiatives.” 

In his graduate studies, Jorgensen’s research interests have focused on mechanisms that lead birds – particularly grassland birds – to select certain habitats. In collaboration with researchers from the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the RWBJV, and Pheasants Forever, Jorgensen has developed models that predict the response of certain bird species to habitat conditions, as well as decision support tools to help habitat managers throughout Nebraska make informed decisions that maximize benefits to grassland birds.

Jorgensen’s time will be divided between Grand Island and Lincoln. The Science Coordinator position is the product of a partnership between the RWBJV, the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which will provide office support and space in Lincoln. 

The Rainwater Basin Joint Venture is a public-private partnership composed of conservation agencies, local government bodies, non-profit organizations, and individuals, each contributing their expertise and resources to the protection and restoration of wetland habitat and other native habitats in Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin  and mixed-grass prairie region.