The Service's exhibit at the 2007 EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wis. - FWS photo by Dave Pederson

Rachel Levin, an outreach specialist in External Affairs, helped to staff a Fish and Wildlife Service exhibit--a waterfowl population survey airplane--at the Experimental Aircraft Association's 2007 "Airventure" in Oshkosh, Wis.  Dave Pederson of R3 Federal Assistance also participated.

Since 2004, the Fish and Wildlife Service's Migratory Bird Management Office has sponsored an exhibit at the Airventure, a gathering of aviation enthusiasts from around the world.  Pilot-biologist Fred Roetker of Region 4 brings his survey aircraft, a Cessna amphibious float plane, and Region 3 provides staff to assist Fred with outreach to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Airventure during its weeklong run.

The Service's exhibit is located just outside the Federal Pavilion at the Airventure, where government agencies from the United States, Canada and the Bahamas maintain displays highlighting their roles in aviation.  The Federal Pavilion sees some 75,000 visitors throughout the show.

The Airventure provides an excellent venue to discuss Service programs.  Visitors to our exhibit wanted to discuss a wide variety of issues, including migratory bird management, private lands restoration and wildlife-dependent outdoor recreation.

Plans are already underway for the Service's participation in the 2008 Airventure.