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ONEONTA, N.Y. -- Associate Professor
Donna
Vogler of the
Biology Department at the SUNY College at Oneonta has received an award
of $25,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Research
Grants Program. The grant will support a 15-month field study entitled
"Non-wildlife-attracting Native and Naturalized Turf Species Suitable for
Use on Airfields Managed for Wildlife Hazards in the Northeast," which will
be carried out by Dr. Vogler and SUNY Oneonta graduate student Kristin
Dorsch.
The goal of the study is to provide recommendations to airports about
plants that can be used as part of a plan for wildlife hazard management.
The results may also be applicable to other venues with problems with
wildlife, such as busy roadways or golf courses.
The study will be conducted at three airports in the region--the Oneonta
Municipal Airport, Griffiss International Airport in Oneida County, and the
Elmira-Corning Regional Airport in Chemung County. In the study, five
species of native plants that can tolerate the dry conditions of airfields
will be compared against a commonly used turf mix for their potential to
attract or deter wildlife.
In May, Vogler and Dorsch established field plots at the Oneonta
Municipal Airport. They plan to set up plots at the other airports in early
June. They will monitor the plots for wildlife attraction by insects, birds,
and mammals.
A member of the SUNY Oneonta faculty since 2000, Donna Vogler received
the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2008. Before
joining SUNY Oneonta, she worked as a post-doctoral research associate at
the University of Pittsburgh, an instructor at several universities in
Pennsylvania, and a botanist for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish
and Wildlife Service. She holds a doctorate in botany from Penn State, a
master's degree from Iowa State, and a bachelor's degree from Ohio State.
More information about the grant and the study is available from Dr.
Vogler at (607) 436-3705.
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