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McConnell AFB biologist partners with Boy Scouts

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jenna K. Caldwell
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist assigned to McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, partnered with a local Boy Scout troop recently in support of a fish growth and habitat study.  

Troop 364 helped Laura Mendenhall, a biologist working with the 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron, fish and set up traps in "Bee-Tree" pond, which is used for recreational catch-and-release fishing. 

The research team planned to process a total of 25 bass by the end of the study and began by capturing four during their first session April 16, 2016.

Without harming them, Mendenhall carefully tagged each fish with a special tac gun that punched the fish's dorsal fin raise.

"We tag them all with a unique identifier and recapture them once a year," said Mendenhall. "We measure, weigh and then compare the growth rates to established growth rates to see if the fish are growing at a healthy rate."

If the growth rates are low, Mendenhall develops steps to improve the ecosystem, which include more pond and water quality studies and the addition of artificial habitat structures.

The partnership between the biologist and the troop volunteers helped reduce the extensive workload that would have resulted if she worked alone to capture the fish, said Mendenhall.

"The scouts are great because I told them what to do, and they just took over and did it. I didn't have to lift a finger, other than the tagging," said Mendenhall. "It was fun to teach them how pond ecosystems work, scientific research methods and also foster the development of new leaders."

One of the troop volunteers, Christopher Oesterle, an Eagle Scout, took charge of the event and delegated responsibilities to the rest of the troop while Mendenhall tagged them.

"This was a chance to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and gain experience handling and studying wildlife," said Christopher's father, Master Sgt. Micheal Oesterle from the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "Christopher exhibited leadership and organizational skills very important to his growth."

The partnership provided Mendenhall extra assistance to accomplish the fish growth and habitat study and provided the troop a valuable opportunity to learn about pond ecosystems. The opportunity also granted both a unique experience that strengthened community ties, said Mendenhall.