The Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture partnership is excited to announce the hiring of our new science implementation coordinator. Melissa Gabrielson will join the JV starting March 24 and will be based out of the JV office in East Lansing, Michigan after transitioning from Minnesota over the next few months. The science implementation coordinator position is a key JV leadership position that supports the many state, federal, NGO, tribal and private partners as they use all available science to inform habitat conservation programs to benefit migratory birds and people. In this role, Melissa will work closely with the Joint Venture science team and board to advance conservation planning, research and monitoring needs, and targeted delivery of habitat projects by JV partners and conservation delivery networks across the Midwest. This position is hosted by Ducks Unlimited on behalf of the JV partnership and is supported financially by nearly a dozen JV partners, including state conservation agencies and NGOs, reflecting the collaborative JV model.
Please welcome Melissa to the terrific partnership in the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture, and you can learn more about her below.
Hello, my name is Melissa Gabrielson. I very excited to be joining the Joint Venture Team and look forward to meeting everyone!
A little about me. I was born and raised in Minnesota where my passion for wildlife and ecosystem function started at an early age. This interest led me to South Dakota State University for my bachelor’s degree where I double majored in Wildlife and Fisheries and Range Science. After graduating in 2006 I continued at South Dakota State University to obtain my master’s degree in the mixed-grass prairies of South Dakota. Seasonal positions interspersed throughout my time in college (including NRCS, DNR, USFWS, and USFS), provided steppingstones towards a professional career in wildlife biology, which brought me to Alaska.
My husband and pup moved to Bethel Alaska in the fall of 2009 where I worked as a Wildlife Biologist with the US Fish & Wildlife Service at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. I was responsible for determining limiting factors of specific seaduck, waterfowl, and goose populations; designing and conducting population studies; and implementing and assessing banding and telemetry projects.
In 2013, I shifted gears and moved to Cordova, Alaska where I worked as a zoned Wildlife Biologist for the Cordova and Glacier Ranger Districts on the Chugach National Forest. My duties and responsibilities included designing, coordinating, implementing, and reporting on a variety of wildlife species and their associated habitats. I was the lead or assistant lead for a variety of projects that assessed habitat improvements for wildlife including dusky Canada geese, black oystercatchers, Aleutian terns, boreal toads, Kittlitz’s murrelets, and moose. I also co-organized the local Fungus and Shorebird Festivals, and coordinated public engagement activities on plants, birds, and wildlife species.
We moved back to the Midwest in the summer of 2020, specifically the Northwoods of Minnesota. I was hired by the Chippewa National Forest as the District Wildlife Biologist, on the Deer River Ranger District. A large part of my job duties were coordinating with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, local, State, and Federal agencies, as well as universities, research stations, and NGOs on vegetation and wildlife management projects. Through coordination with our stakeholders and partners I provided recommendations for the protection, management, and improvement of wildlife habitat within the framework of multiple use management. I also organized a variety of outreach events to engage the community on bats, pollinators, and migratory birds.
When I am not working, I enjoy being outside – gardening, foraging, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, kayaking, and camping with my husband and 2 dogs. I also enjoy reading, knitting, crafting, canning, and cooking.