- Wildlife Management, B.T.
Program Highlights
Extensive "hands-on" practical laboratory and field exercises such as:
Classifying wetland habitats using federal and state systems
Delineating jurisdictional wetland boundaries
Assessing the functional value of habitats for wildlife
Trapping reptiles & amphibians using drift fences and pitfalls
Preparing museum quality bird skins and plant collections.
Opportunity to obtain all the coursework necessary to satisfy the educational requirements to become a Certified Wildlife Biologist by the Wildlife society.
The required internship program provides students with a unique opportunity to acquire professional job experience in the field of wildlife management. The SUNY Cobleskill student chapter of the Wildlife Society was crowned "National Champions" at the 1998 National Wildlife Quiz Bowl Competition.
Wildlife Management students maintain the herpetology laboratory - a collection of living amphibians and reptiles from North America. Access to an extensive collection of preserved specimens in the Fisheries and Wildlife Museum and to up-to-date computer facilities.
Additional Program Information
Fish & Wildlife Festival
A joint venture by the Student Chapters of The Wildlife Society and The American Fisheries Society, the Fish & Wildlife Festival has been a spring event at the college annually since 1996. Designed to interest people of all ages, the festival consists primarily of live animal displays, a variety of educational exhibits by natural resources agencies and conservation groups, and a popular fishing derby for youngsters. The derby is held on site at a pond stocked with trout raised in our coldwater fish hatchery.
Herpetology Laboratory
All students of BIOL317 Herpetology manage a live collection of reptiles housed in a laboratory known as "The Herp Room". The collection consists only of North American species with an emphasis on the East Coast. Represented snakes include rat snakes, corn snakes, water snakes, milk snakes, and bullsnakes. Turtles included spotted turtles, wood turtles, box turtles, map turtles, mud turtles, musk turtles, and snapping turtles. The college also has a lizard breeding facility housed in a separate building.
Student Chapter of TWS
The Wildlife Society granted SUNY Cobleskill an official Student Chapter in 1998. Students gather once each week at noontime to plan activities or learn from guest speakers. The chapter works closely with the official Student Subunit of The American Fisheries Society. Two large events are planned by students each year: the Fish & Wildlife Festival during the spring semester and the fall field trip to the Annual Meeting of The Wildlife Society.
Waterfowl Collection
A good collection of specimens is a necessary part of FWLD320 -- an entire course devoted to the ecology and management of a waterfowl. Students use the specimens to study species identification by sex and age classes, as well as seasonal variation in plumage of ducks, geese, and swans. Students conducting taxidermy projects prepared many of the collection's 125 specimens.
