Robots and Drones for Science, Not Just Science Fiction with the Sheboygan County Audubon Society

Dr. Jackie Augustine, a behavioral ecologist who studies the mating behaviors of wild birds, will discuss her research which utilizes robots and drones to study how male Prairie-Chickens attract mates. Her presentation will include videos of robots and drones in action.

Dr. Jackie Augustine, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University at Lima, is a behavioral ecologist who studies the mating behaviors of wild birds. Originally from Two Rivers, WI, she received her masters degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before attending Kansas State University for her doctorate. While in Kansas, she fell in love with prairie-chickens, and has now been studying them for nearly two decades. Her current research utilizes robots to study how males attract mates in Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chickens, two declining species whose ranges overlap in western Kansas. Another project is determining whether drones could be used to survey for prairie-chickens in the future. Dr. Augustine will describe what fascinates her about prairie-chickens during a 1-hour long presentation which will include videos of robots and drones in action.