Genesee Community College will host a dual conservation presentation featuring the Seneca White Deer and the local bird-banding efforts by Tom Klotzbach, a senior telecommunications manager for SunGard Higher Education.
Klotzbach will present his research and historical information from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13 in Room T119 at the Batavia Campus. The event is free and open to the public.
He has studied the white deer herd of the Seneca Army Depot for several years and has recently become a licensed bird-bander.
The first part of the presentation will feature the history of the Seneca White Deer, a rare herd of deer living within the confines of the former Seneca Army Depot in Seneca County.
Klotzbach will discuss the history of the herd as well as the military base, population control of the herd, genetics and conservation efforts. As a former tour guide at the Seneca Army Depot, and also a former board member of the Seneca White Deer, Inc. (a non-profit conservation organization), Klotzbach is now working on a research project regarding the Seneca White Deer.
The second part of Klotzbach's presentation will feature his bird-banding project at the college's Batavia campus, as well as his work on the western portion of the Ontario State Parkway through the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory.
Tom bands juvenile birds prior to fledging and also catches adults via the use of bird traps to collect and track bird data such as age, sex, fat score and body mass, following each bird by its unique band number. Ultimately, the data collected is used to study migration patterns with the U.S. Geological Survey, and it serves as the foundation for Tom's research on nest site fidelity.
After the presentations, Klotzbach will allow for a question-and-answer period. He is looking to enlist the help of students or other interested community residents to help with the data-tracking process by acting as a scribe.
For further information, please contact Tom Klotzbach at 590-2022.
