By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service
Manhattan, KS. – A Kansas State University faculty member whose career focuses on wildlife education and conservation science has been named to The Wildlife Society’s Fellows program.
Adam Ahlers, an associate professor of wildlife and outdoor enterprise management in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, said he was “honored and surprised” to be recognized by The Wildlife Society, an international organization with more than 11,000 members.
According to The Wildlife Society, “the fellows program recognizes members who have distinguished themselves through exceptional service to their profession.”
“There are many wildlife professionals across North America who may be much more deserving of this recognition than I, but I’m genuinely honored that TWS has recognized my work in the profession and within the Society,” Ahlers said.
As a wildlife and landscape ecologist, Ahlers said he helps answer many questions for state and federal natural resource agencies – including the National Park Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and others — regarding applied wildlife conservation and management practices.
“A lot of my work centers on how wildlife populations respond to landscape change, such as invasive species, habitat loss and urbanization,” Ahlers said. “My colleagues and I work in many different ecosystems, including wetlands in Voyageurs National Park and in the Flint Hills and prairies of Kansas.”
Currently, he is working on projects evaluating the impact of wetland quality and drought on muskrat populations in the Great Lakes region and also finding strategic ways to manage swift fox populations in Kansas.
Ahlers began teaching at K-State in 2015 after completing a doctoral degree at the University of Illinois, where he also earned a master’s degree.
He has been a member of The Wildlife Society for 16 years, serving in numerous roles, including president of the Central Mountains and Plains Section (representing seven states and nearly 1200 members). He is currently president-elect of the Kansas chapter of The Wildlife Society.
More information on Ahlers’ work is available online.
