Allert wins national military fish and wildlife award

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  • By 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  He's no ecologist. He doesn't even have a degree in biology, yet, Master Sgt. Edwin Allert, 60th Air Mobility Wing safety non-commissioned officer in charge, pulled off a feat that would make a biologist or ecologist green with envy.

Sergeant Allert won the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association's conservation research award for his efforts to preserve burrowing owls, long-billed curlews and tiger salamanders. NMFWA officials will present the award March 23 in Milwaukee at the group's annual meeting.

"The NMFWA created the conservation award last year to recognize individuals who contribute to significant research, which takes place on a military installation or is funded by the Department of Defense to protect and manage wildlife and other natural resources," said Lisa Markovchick, Awards Committee Chair.

"Natural resource managers spend a lot of time and money conducting and overseeing research to answer scientific and management questions to be good stewards of natural resources on federal property while completing the military mission," said Markovchick.

Sergeant Allert noted,"I knew I'd been nominated, but I didn't really know what the award was about. When I got the (award) letter, I thought, what is this?"

The fact that Sergeant Allert has no background in wildlife management or conservation makes his winning much more "exceptional," said Raymond Hasey, who nominated Sergeant Allert. Mr. Hasey, as the base's natural and cultural resources manager. He said his position was vacant during the time Sergeant Allert was managing the bird/aircraft strike-hazard program and helping the base meet fish and wildlife guidelines.

"He managed a wildlife and endangered species program for four years with no technical support and without even having a biologist to talk with," said Mr. Hasey. "Although Sergeant Allert has no professional scientific training, his careful and insightful scientific field work led to significant advances that have resulted and will result in reduced impacts to listed and other species."

Mr. Hasey has written two scientific papers, which he plans to submit to a peer-reviewed journal based on Sergeant Allert's discoveries an amazing acknowledgement. "The information should help other bases protect similar species," Mr. Hasey said.

Sergeant Allert is an aircraft mechanic by trade. He transferred from the engine shop at Travis to wing safety in 2006, primarily to manage the BASH program. "The wing commander at the time wanted someone from maintenance on the safety staff," said Sergeant Allert. "Who would know better than an engine mechanic the damages caused by bird strikes?"

Last fiscal year, Travis suffered more than $51,000 dollars in bird strike damages. This was a significant drop from fiscal year 2008 when bird strikes resulted in more than $281,000 in damages. In fact, the Falcon Program at Travis has decreased the average number of bird strikes from 135 per year during the past five years to just 13 in fiscal year 2009.

Although Sergeant Allert was using approved Air Force methods at the time to reduce and prevent bird strikes, nothing worked with the curlews, which migrate to Travis in winter to feast on an abundant crop of crickets, said the sergeant.

Sergeant Allert studied the curlew's habits for several months.

"The curlews had figured out if they didn't fly, the falcons we used to chase away the other birds would have no interest in them," Sergeant Allert said. "So, they just sat in place whenever we released the falcons. The few times the falcons did chase them, the curlews would only fly a little ways off and land without really getting out of the aircraft paths."

As a result, Sergeant Allert and the base falconers decided to use bird dogs to flush the curlews. With the dogs on the ground and the falcons in the air, the curlews had little chance of returning to the flightline, he said.

He also realized that the base was expending a lot of money and manpower to relocate burrowing owls, which returned to their nesting places near the flightline as soon as the ground squirrels did - about a week after being moved.

The owls live in the same burrows as the squirrels. Sergeant Allert also soon learned that tiger salamanders lived in the same burrows. However, it was learned, the salamander was recently placed on the state's endangered species list. "I was mainly worried about protecting the aircraft, but the work I was doing benefited the salamanders," said Sergeant Allert.

The base, thereby, had the extra duty of controlling the squirrel population because they attract larger birds like hawks and eagles, which could cause major aircraft damages.

After watching the owls for months, Sergeant Allert found they flew slowly and low to the ground. He thought they posed little to no threat to aircraft taking off or landing. He proves himself right by using BASH data to find evidence of burrowing owl strikes. After two years and no activity the owls were actually too small and benign to cause any damage.

As a result of Sergeant Allert's efforts, "the threatened and endangered species populations were sustained," said Mr. Hasey. The burrowing owl population even increased on Travis. Mr. Hasey said he believes about 10 percent of Solano County's burrowing owl population now live at Travis.

Sergeant Allert also figured out a way to control the squirrel population without harming them, the owls or salamanders. His solution will be included in the research paper, Mr. Hasey said.

"He was doing research without knowing it," Mr. Hasey said. "That's why I wrote the papers and named him senior author." An ecologist without knowing it, on may say...