2010 Featured Speakers

Dick Verch is a retired Professor of Biology and Ornithologist from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin.  Dick has spent more than 35 years studying the birds of Chequamegon Bay and is the premier authority on the region's avifauna.  He authored the book Chequamegon Bay Birds in 1999 and contributed multiple species accounts to the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin published in 2006.  His knowledge extends well beyond birds to include plant communities, identification of woody vegetation, and other aspects of botany and forest in the Upper Midwest.

Greg Alexander, is a self-taught artist from northern Wisconsin whose landscape and wildlife paintings have earned him national recognition.  Equally comfortable with a range of wildlife subjects, Greg jumps with ease from fin to fur to feather and back again. Committing at least a third of his time to field research and reference photography, accuracy has become a trademark of Greg's work.   The winner of nine conservation stamp competitions, today he is rightly considered one of the country's finest wildlife artists.  Greg's work also includes the logo and booklet covers for the 2007 and 2008 Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival. 

Larry Weber, is a retired science teacher at The Marshall School in Duluth, MN.  He is a talented naturalist who captivates with his enthusiasm and energy.  Weber is the author of Backyard Almanac (1995), Butterflies of New England (2002), Spiders of the Northwoods (2002), and Butterflies of the Northwoods (2006).  He also co-authored Fascinating Fungi of the Northwoods (2006). 

Laura Erickson, 2010 Keynote Speaker, is currently the Science Editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. Formerly of Duluth, Minnesota, Laura is an avid birder, author of four books, radio personality, storyteller, writer, and licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Many birders are familiar with her radio program “For the Birds,” which airs on stations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York. Her newest book, The Bird Watching Answer Book, was just released in November. In May 2007, Laura was presented with the Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award by the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology “for significant contributions to Wisconsin Ornithology.” She also was the keynote speaker at the 2008 Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival.

Scott Craven is a professor and Extension wildlife specialist in the Department of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Scott is an expert on human-wildlife interactions, wildlife management and conservation, and wildlife-based recreation.  An author of numerous publications on wildlife damage control and wildlife-related activities, Scott received the Wisconsin Award from The Wildlife Society in 2003 and is a fellow and career-long active member of TWS.  Many birders and wildlife enthusiasts will recognize Scott as a popular featured guest on Wisconsin Public Radio, where he answers callers' questions on a vast array of wildlife topics.