BEMIDJI, Minn. – A natural resources presentation entitled “Scaup, Coots and Parasites on Winnie” is scheduled for 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation.

This Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentation, which is open to the public and free of charge, will be held at the CRI’s off-campus facility located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.

Presenting will be Dr. Jeff Lawrence of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Last fall, there was a loss of about 7,000 diving ducks, Lesser scaup, and a few hundred coots on Lake Winnibigoshish in north central Minnesota. Dead ducks were sent to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., and they indicated that the losses were caused by trematodes, a small parasite the ducks picked up while feeding on snails. The Department of Natural Resources monitored the losses.

Lawrence will discuss the life cycle of this parasite, implications and outlook for host snails and parasites in North Central Minnesota and elsewhere, and further investigations this summer on distribution and abundance of the snails. The Department of Natural Resources is looking for help from hunters, fishermen, and others outdoors to monitor potential losses this fall.

The talk is part of an on-going series of Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentations, usually offered on the third Monday of each month. Groups helping organize the natural resources consortium include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; the Chippewa National Forest; the Leech Lake Division of Resource Management; Ainsworth; and the Red Lake Reservation.

The CRI is an off-campus facility operated by BSU designed to increase collaboration between the University, business and industry and other sectors of the region.

Individuals who wish to be added to a mailing list for the series or have questions should contact the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; e-mail, cri@bemidjistate.edu.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Aug. 18 – 3-4 p.m. – Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation hosts Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentation, “Scaup, Coots and Parasites on Winnie.” Presenter: Jeff Lawrence, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Location: CRI; 3801 Bemidji Ave. N.; Bemidji, Minn. Cost: free. For information: (218) 755-4900; (888) 738-3224; http://www.cri-bsu.org.