Purdue Student Chapter The Wildlife Society

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Purdue Student Chapter The Wildlife Society The Wildlife Society (TWS) is an international organization committed to the advancement of wildlife science and management.

Activities of the Purdue chapter vary year to year but have a common goal of increasing our members' understanding of wildlife biology, management, and science through hands on experiences and invited speakers. Previous speakers have included professionals from, USDA Wildlife Services, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Indiana DNR, and Purdue University. Previous activities include building nesting structures for wildlife, a wildlife quiz bowl, and trips to look for birds and amphibians. The field of wildlife biology is an important and diverse field. The Purdue Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society helps educate future professionals of the field on up to date research findings and techniques, provides its members with many opportunities to interact with current professionals, and educates those members through fun hands on work in the outdoors. All students interested in wildlife management and research are encouraged to get involved with this great organization!

This event has been rescheduled, and the following post has been updated to reflect the changes!Join us on Wednesday, Oc...
10/17/2026

This event has been rescheduled, and the following post has been updated to reflect the changes!

Join us on Wednesday, October 21st, at 5:30 PM at Purdue Wildlife Area (PWA) for a fun evening of herping! With the weather getting colder, this may be one of the last opportunities to find amphibians and reptiles. We will be out in the ponds, so bring waders or rainboots if you have them. Carpooling can be provided if you need a ride to PWA. This event is open to all dues-paying members. Sign up on the GroupMe if you are interested!

This event has been rescheduled, and the following post has been updated to reflect the changes! Join TWS and Robert Bri...
10/17/2026

This event has been rescheduled, and the following post has been updated to reflect the changes!

Join TWS and Robert Brinkman, property manager at Willow Slough FWA, to assist with a Northern Bobwhite Quail Covey Count. Volunteers listen for coveys or groups of quail calling in a particular area to estimate fall abundance. Participants will stand completely still in the field for an hour. It may be 50 degrees outside, so dress in warm clothing. Mosquitos at Willow Slough have been bad lately, so bring bug spray and mosquito nets if you have them! We will meet at Willow Sloughs shop at 5:30 AM CT/6:30 ET on October 19th and will return to campus around 10:30 AM ET. Please complete the survey on GroupMe if you are interested, even if you previously submitted a response. Only 30 members are able to participate, so sign up ASAP!

Welcome back to class and happy ! This week, we are discussing the red-eared slider (π‘‡π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘¦π‘  π‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘‘π‘Ž π‘’π‘™π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘›π‘ ). This ...
10/14/2026

Welcome back to class and happy ! This week, we are discussing the red-eared slider (π‘‡π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘¦π‘  π‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘‘π‘Ž π‘’π‘™π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘›π‘ ). This is a subspecies of the pond slider (π‘‡π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘¦π‘  π‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘‘π‘Ž) and is native to the southern United States and the northern portion of Mexico, but it has become established in other places due to its extremely popular status as a pet. Young look practically identical regardless of s*x, but distinguishing adults is much easier. Mature males have smaller shells, longer claws, and are generally smaller than females. But this can be a difficult parameter to apply when comparing individuals of different ages. Red-eared sliders do not hibernate but instead brumate. Becoming less active in October and occasionally rising to the surface for food or air. Brumation typically occurs under water, but they have been found under banks, rocks, and in hollow stumps.



Photo by Donatella Mudica
Information from iNaturalist.org

Join The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and The Purdue Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society on Thursday...
10/13/2026

Join The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and The Purdue Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society on Thursday, October 22nd, from 4 - 7 PM EST at Stewart Woods in Horticulture Park. Engage in nature hikes, guided meditation sessions, and other fun, nature-inspired activities! This event is open to all members of Purdue and the Greater Lafayette community. Scan the QR code to register!

Our Birds Working Group had a great time at the art night in the FNR collection! Students were able to see specimens tha...
10/11/2026

Our Birds Working Group had a great time at the art night in the FNR collection! Students were able to see specimens that are normally not on display, relax for a few hours and draw these wonderful pictures. Thank you to Rachel Brent, Collection Curator, for letting the club view her specimens and use the collection room! Collections like these are incredibly important to research, education, and understanding life histories. If you want to participate in events like these, consider joining the Purdue Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Our next meeting is Wednesday, October 14th, at 6 PM in FORS 216. We hope to see you there, and happy fall break!

Join us on October 15th at 6 PM at Purdue Wildlife Area (PWA) for a fun evening of herping! With the weather getting col...
10/10/2026

Join us on October 15th at 6 PM at Purdue Wildlife Area (PWA) for a fun evening of herping! With the weather getting colder, this may be one of the last opportunities to find amphibians and reptiles. We will be out in the ponds, so bring waders or rainboots if you have them. Carpooling can be provided if you need a ride to PWA. This event is open to all dues-paying members. Sign up on the GroupMe if you are interested!

Join us on Wednesday, October 14th from 6:00-7:00 PM in FORS 216 to hear from Dr. Dylan Osterhaus! We will be learning a...
10/09/2026

Join us on Wednesday, October 14th from 6:00-7:00 PM in FORS 216 to hear from Dr. Dylan Osterhaus! We will be learning about his doctoral work at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and his current research looking at the impacts of light pollution on nocturnal bird migration. We hope to see everyone at the meeting!

Join us on October 15th at 5:30 AM CT/6:30 AM ET at Willow Slough FWA to assist staff with a Northern Bobwhite Quail Cov...
10/08/2026

Join us on October 15th at 5:30 AM CT/6:30 AM ET at Willow Slough FWA to assist staff with a Northern Bobwhite Quail Covey Count. This method is used to estimate the fall abundance of Northern Bobwhite in the area. Volunteers will listen for groups of Northern Bobwhite calling in a particular area and record data. This is a fantastic opportunity to interact with professionals and gain experience recording field data. If the weather is unfavorable on the 15th, the activity will be moved to the 16th. The Carpooling location is to be decided. This event is open to all dues-paying members and is limited to 30 members, so sign up on the GroupMe ASAP!

Happy everyone! This week, we are discussing the Willow Ptarmigan (πΏπ‘Žπ‘”π‘œπ‘π‘’π‘  π‘™π‘Žπ‘”π‘œπ‘π‘’π‘ ). This species breeds in birch stan...
10/07/2026

Happy everyone! This week, we are discussing the Willow Ptarmigan (πΏπ‘Žπ‘”π‘œπ‘π‘’π‘  π‘™π‘Žπ‘”π‘œπ‘π‘’π‘ ). This species breeds in birch stands in northern Europe, Alaska, Siberia, and Canada. In the winter, the birds are white with some black feathers in their tails. While in the summer, they are largely brown with dappled plumage. Nesting takes place in the spring, where four to 10 eggs are laid in a scrape on the ground. Chicks eat insects and young plant growth, transitioning to a completely herbivorous diet when reaching adulthood. This species has remained largely unaltered from the bird that roamed the tundra during the Pleistocene and is now the state bird of Alaska. We hope you enjoy your fall break, and we will see you next week!

Photo by Amy Ahrbecker
Information from iNaturalist.org

Thank you to everyone who came to our Wednesday meeting about the Purdue Bird Collision Monitoring Project. And a big sh...
10/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to our Wednesday meeting about the Purdue Bird Collision Monitoring Project. And a big shout out to Lydia Pultorak for her continued dedication to conservation on campus and for providing students opportunities to have positive impacts at Purdue! If you want to aid local conservation efforts on campus, reach out to Lydia Pultorak at [email protected]. Our next general meeting is Wednesday, October 14th, at 6 PM in FORS 216.

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