Keith Bollinger Named State FFA Star in AgriScience

STATE WINNER: Keith Bollinger, Cochrane-Fountain City

Keith's interests in Natural Resources and Wildlife Conservation began after he became an FFA member. Bollinger is a volunteer for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where he bands geese, samples harvested deer for Chronic Wasting Disease, conducts water quality assessment tests on local streams, and grows beetles for bio-control of the invasive weed, Purple Loosestrife.

Bollinger's biggest challenge occurred when his chapter promoted the testing of CWD. He organized his FFA peers to create and write news articles and made class presentations to encourage hunters, students and their families to donate their deer heads for research. over 400 deer heads were collected and tested with no positive results found. Keith has also been a part of a five-acre bluff prairie restoration project and has assisted with the International Crane Count.

Keith plans to major in wildlife ecology. He would like to become a wildlife researcher or biologist for the Wisconsin DNR or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bollinger's goal is to own and manage 200 acres of woodlands, swamp and plains property.

OTHER FINALISTS:
  Amanda Anderson, Mount Horeb
  Casey Clardy, Pulaski
  Jeffery Steele, Randolph-Cambria-Friesland
  Melissa Meyer, Tri-County

SPONSOR: Monsanto Chemistry, Seeds and Traints, and Haldeman-Homme, Inc.

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